CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN) — Who will Bill Belichick face in his first game as the North Carolina Tar Heels new head football coach?
On Thursday afternoon, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced its schedule for the first football games of the 2025 season — including who UNC will play in what is arguably the most highly-anticipated debut of a college coach.
Belichick and the Tar Heels will open the season with a marquee game on Labor Day, which this year falls on Sept. 1. UNC is set for a primetime matchup at home against TCU.
That game will end five days straight days of ACC football that begins on Thursday, Aug. 28 with another Triangle team. NC State is scheduled to host ECU — who the Wolfpack faced in the Military Bowl in December to end the 2024 season — that day, with a time yet to be announced. The season-opening matchup had originally been scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 30.
While the Pack will no longer be playing that Saturday, Duke will. The Blue Devils are set to host Elon in their opener, marking the second season in a row the two teams will have squared off to start their respective campaigns. Kickoff for the Duke-Elon game has also not yet been announced.
The full ACC football schedules will be announced Monday night.