Lombardi’s Saudi Trip Sparks Debate Over UNC’s Direction, Integrity

North Carolina’s football program has dominated headlines this season, often for the wrong—and sometimes even embarrassing—reasons.

Look, I know my recent stories haven’t cast UNC football in the best light, and that’s not by choice—it’s a reflection of their struggles on the field and persistent off-the-field distractions.

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick looks on before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Most of my criticism has been directed at head coach Bill Belichick, the UNC administration, and, more recently, Michael Lombardi. However, I’m prepared to give UNC football a little more credit this week after their strong showing in a 21-18 loss to Cal.

However, I won’t let up on Lombardi, who, according to a report from The Athletic, visited Saudi Arabia “to meet with high-ranking government officials to discuss potential partnership opportunities.”

According to a tweet from News and Observer reporter Shelby Swanson, UNC vice chancellor for communications Dean Stoyer released this statement:

“Michael Lombardi did travel to Saudi Arabia at the request of a Saudi national who is a college football fan, interested in supporting Coach Belichick. Earlier reports of meeting with the PIF or investing in UNC are inaccurate.”

The university said Lombardi’s visit did not lead to any partnership or support for Belichick’s program. Details remain unclear, including who Lombardi met with, and there’s no sign of any follow-up talks. School officials also stressed that no university or athletic department funds were used, and that "the Saudis" paid for the trip.

UNC — Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox and North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick shake hands after the game at California Memorial Stadium. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Lombardi did not respond to requests for comment.

Belichick was asked about as well after the game on Friday and answered with diversion.

“Yeah I’ll just talk about the game here,” Belichick said. "Just focused on the game. I’m not going to deal with any of those, you know, whatever else. I think the university released a statement on that, so that should take care of it.”

Saudi Money Won’t Fix UNC Problems or Saudi Arabia’s Reputation as a Sovereign State

UNC — Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Richmond Spiders head coach Russ Huesman talks to North Carolina Tar Heels general manager Michael Lombardi and head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

I understand why Lombardi might be interested in Saudi involvement, and vice versa, especially given their growing presence in sports around the world. But no amount of Saudi money can solve Lombardi’s challenges in the transfer portal—or erase the country’s record on human rights, including the 2018 assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist and outspoken critic of the Saudi royal family.

Oct 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Does Lombardi really believe Saudi money will fix all his troubles in the transfer portal? That’s hard to believe, considering the team spent $2 million on Gio Lopez—who ranks statistically among the worst quarterbacks in college football. Lombardi’s recruiting hasn’t helped, either, with most of his targets coming from players only being scouted by Group of Five schools, rather than competitors within the conference.

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) evades tackle by California Golden Bears linebacker Cade Uluave (0) in the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

“It made me wonder, did they actually understand the landscape they were in? Did they understand that they’re in the ACC, not like Conference USA or the Sun Belt? Like, we got beat by North Carolina on a bunch of kids. I was like, why the f— is North Carolina beating us on kids? When I keep running up against the same P4s over and over again in recruiting, I’m like, all right, they’re gonna suck,” one anonymous Group of Five coach said in a report done by The Athletic.

UNC — Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels general manager Michael Lombardi during the Bill Belichick hiring announcement at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Saudi Arabia has frequently relied on sportswashing—using sports investments and events to divert attention from its record of human rights abuses. These concerns were brought into sharp focus with the 2018 assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist and outspoken critic of the Saudi royal family.

So far, the Public Investment Fund’s sports investments include LIV Golf, WWE, and ownership of Premier League club Newcastle United.

However, LIV Golf, arguably the PIF's biggest investment in sports, has not worked out so far as it has suffered significant losses, according to a recent financial filing in the United Kingdom.

LIV Golf Ltd., the U.K.-based division managing non-U.S. tournaments, posted a $461.8 million loss in 2024, with revenues of $64.9 million and expenses totaling $526.7 million.

Sep 12, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; A pylon marks the endzone with the North Carolina Tar Heels and ACC logo during the game against the North Carolina A&T Aggies at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels defeated North Carolina A&T Aggies 53-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

The organization lost nearly $396 million in 2023 and $243 million in its inaugural year, resulting in overall losses of more than $1.1 billion. Last year, LIV Golf held 14 tournaments, including seven outside the United States. LIV Golf Inc., which handles the events in the U.S., does not disclose its financial results.

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