UCF responds to North Carolina's Bill Belichick's accidental trolling

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick likely did not realize the motivation the legend just provided UCF. Now, there is no going back as the Tar Heels take on the Knights in college football Week 4.

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina's upcoming matchup against UCF is flying under the radar on the college football Week 4 schedule, but Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick may have just changed that. There are few things UCF fans hate more than being called "Central Florida."

The Knights may have just received a new nickname after Belichick referred to UCF as "Central" in a recent press conference. Belichick was complimentary of the Knights, but all UCF fans heard was one word.

Bill Belichick referring to UCF as "Central" is the kind of stuff I know the UCF fan base loves. @UCF_Football #ucf pic.twitter.com/zxnlU5GfR6

— Pat Welter WRAL (@PatrickWelter) September 14, 2025

"We'll just go through the preparations for Central, and it's another good football team," Belichick told reporters while referencing UCF. "I know Scott (Frost) does a good job down there, but we'll have to gear up for what they do.

"They've got a lot of skilled athletes. They get the ball in space a lot. Defensively, they've got some explosive guys who we're going to have to handle. We'll find out."

UCF responded by changing their name to 'Central' on social media

UCF has already responded to Belichick's comments by changing the program's bio on X to "The official account of Central Football." On the field, UCF head coach Scott Frost has familiarity with Belichick.

Bill Belichick refers to UCF as “Central,” hence the change to Central Football 😉 pic.twitter.com/dfxaT2eDnf

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 16, 2025

Frost played safety for the Jets in 1998 and 1999 when Belichick was the team's defensive coordinator. The UCF coach is expecting Belichick to focus on taking away the Knights' strengths.

"I can't say enough about how intelligent he is and how much football he knows, and that was before he went on a run as a head coach," Frost said of Belichick during his press conference on Monday. "So, a tremendous amount of respect for what he's accomplished in the game.

"... Well, having played for him, he's going to try to take away what you do best in every game. It's going to look a little different in every game, and because of that, I think we need to be ready against multiple things and be ready to adjust during the game."

UCF Is likely to start Indiana transfer QB Tayven Jackson vs. North Carolina

UCF's quarterback battle has been a bit non-traditional after Cam Fancher initially was named the team's starter over Tayven Jackson. Fancher sustained an early injury during UCF's Week 1 game against Jacksonville State, and Jackson has remained the Knights' quarterback after being inserted into the contest.

Jackson was initially the favorite to win the UCF starting gig after transferring from Indiana over the offseason. The former highly touted recruit also had a short stint at Tennessee, but lost the quarterback battle to Fancher during camp.

Frost revealed that Fancher is expected to be cleared to practice leading up to the North Carolina matchup. The coach was unsure if Fancher will be cleared to play for Week 4.

Regardless, Jackson appears to now have a strong hold on the UCF job after the Knights dropped 68 points against North Carolina A&T in Week 2. UCF is a 6.5-point favorite over North Carolina, per FanDuel.