Belichick's Fallout With The Patriots is Now Shaking UNC Football

What began as a quiet personal split between Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots has grown into something far more complicated in Chapel Hill. Sources close to the program say that tension from Belichick’s NFL fallout has started to affect UNC football’s public image.

Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the field before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

What started as a personal fallout between Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots has now turned into a visible tension inside the North Carolina football program.

A growing divide has surfaced between the Tar Heel program and its surrounding community, with social media calling attention to what insiders say has been building quietly for weeks.

The situation reached public view when UNC football avoided posting about former quarterback Drake Maye, now thriving with the Patriots. Fans noticed the silence, especially as Maye’s success in New England became one of the biggest stories in football. The lack of recognition from his alma mater did not go unnoticed online.

And not a peep from Carolina Football about it. Because it’s the Patriots.

🤦🏼‍♂️ https://t.co/QNwbnALTWc

— Tommy Ashley (@TAshleyIC) October 6, 2025

The Fallout

According to multiple people close to the program, Belichick has banned Patriots scouts from attending UNC games this season.

Those same sources indicated the move stemmed from lingering personal issues between Belichick and his former organization. The result has been awkward, public silence between the program and its most famous NFL connection.

UNC eventually posted a clip of Maye’s highlights, but sources said the decision came from university administration, not from the football program itself. The post felt reactive rather than celebratory.

According to sources inside the UNC football program, it is a directive from the staff (Bill Belichick) to not tweet/retweet anything Patriots-related.

That's clearly why UNC football has not posted anything from Drake Maye's electric primetime win over the Buffalo Bills.

— Ross Martin (@RossMartinNC) October 6, 2025

Behind the scenes, frustration appears to be growing. People within UNC describe the football program as disconnected from the rest of the athletic department. The tension, they say, goes beyond football results.

Families of players and recruits have reportedly voiced concern about the atmosphere, while others inside the university describe a culture that has turned cold and divided.

The financial side complicates everything. Belichick’s contract, along with compensation tied to his sons and general manager Michael Lombardi, is believed to total around 25 million dollars. That number makes any type of clean separation nearly impossible. Informal discussions about what might come next have taken place, but no official talks have begun.

So Happy for Drake. Fun to watch him win last night in Buffalo like he did so many times at UNC. Love ❤️ and Appreciate you my friend! Keep it rolling! pic.twitter.com/BlfuJOGSto

— Mack Brown (@CoachMackBrown) October 6, 2025

Drake Maye’s success should have been a shared point of pride for UNC. Instead, it has exposed how personal conflicts can ripple far beyond their original source. What began as Belichick’s exit from the Patriots has evolved into a cultural test for North Carolina football.

The program now faces a pivotal moment. Fans, alumni, and players are watching how it handles the growing tension and whether leadership can realign the team’s focus before it fractures further. For many around Chapel Hill, the silence, the tweets, and the behind-the-scenes frustration all point to the same question: how much longer can this uneasy experiment last?

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