Will Bill Belichick make North Carolina attractive to the Big Ten and SEC? Exploring the Tar Heels' realignment goal following coaching change

In arguably the biggest coaching hire in college football over the last decade, Bill Belichick was named the new coach of North Carolina on Wednesday. The former New England Patriots coach takes his first job in the collegiate landscape after almost five decades in the NFL.

For a host of analysts, Belichick's hiring is a big risk for the Tar Heels due to his lack of experience in college football. However, others believe that the university has an end goal in the audacious move: to help facilitate North Carolina’s realignment ambition.

With his reputation in the football world, can Bill Belichick ease the Tar Heels' route out of the Atlantic Coast Conference to the “Power Two?”

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Will Bill Belichick make UNC attractive to the Big Ten and SEC?

Without a doubt, a coach can make a program highly attractive to a conference in the current realignment landscape. The hiring of Deion Sanders made Colorado, despite its years of struggles, attractive to the Big 12 at the time the Pac-12 was set to implode in 2023.

With his six Super Bowl rings, Bill Belichick is a far bigger hire than Sanders from a coaching standpoint. His level of success is bound to make North Carolina a more reputable program in the college football landscape even before he leads them onto the field in the 2025 season.

The Tar Heels have been generating some level of interest from both the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference over the last couple of years. They are based in a state that's untapped by both conferences, giving them the edge over Florida State and Clemson.

The arrival of Bill Belichick in Chapel Hill will undoubtedly make sealing a realignment deal with the Big Ten or the SEC easier than expected. However, getting out of the ACC remains the biggest challenge for the school due to the conference’s Grants of Rights agreement.

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North Carolina’s inside push to leave the ACC

While North Carolina isn't actively pushing to leave the ACC like Florida State and Clemson, there's an inside push to get something done regarding realignment. A university trustee Dave Boliek publicly pushed for an active realignment move in May.

“It's not something you can change with the snap of a finger,” Boliek said. “It's something we've got to be cognizant of.

"We can't sit back and cross our fingers and pray for pennies from heaven and think everything is going to work out. We have to actively pursue what's in the best interests of Carolina athletics."

With Bill Belichick at Chapel Hill, the school could approach its ambition to leave the ACC with more confidence. Sealing a move to the Big Ten or SEC places the school in a much better place financially, which has become increasingly important in the age of NIL.