Bill Belichick’s highly anticipated college coaching debut at North Carolina hasn’t just hit turbulence on the field, there been a huge dip in the ratings, too.
After beginning the season with massive national attention and a Labor Day matchup that drew 6.6 million viewers on ESPN, the Tar Heels’ early struggles under the legendary NFL coach have caused their mainstream appeal to fall.
Once viewed as the ACC’s most marketable storyline, UNC has stumbled to a 2-3 record amid reports of locker room discord and Belichick’s alleged frustrations with his transition to the college game. The team’s most recent loss, a 38-10 defeat to Clemson on Oct. 4, brought in just 1.86 million viewers and was ranked 10th among Week 6 college football audiences.
Two weeks earlier, UNC’s game against UCF on FOX drew 2.03 million. To put this into perspective, no game for Deion Sanders and Colorado has dipped below 2 million during his tenure.
ESPN hoped when Belichick arrived in Chapel Hill that he would bring the same energy. So far, it hasn't amounted to much. The drop-off has already reshaped the network’s programming decisions.
For the Oct. 25 ACC slate, ESPN passed on airing Virginia at North Carolina, opting instead for higher-ranked matchups like Syracuse–Georgia Tech and Stanford–Miami. The UNC game will instead air at noon ET on the ACC Network, which, despite being owned by ESPN, isn’t Nielsen-rated. Meaning national viewership numbers won’t be available.
An ESPN spokesperson told Front Office Sports that “Noon is a strong window for ACC Network." But it still begs the question what happens if Belichick goes on a deeper slide? Will the network abandon UNC entirely and keep them on the ACC Network or digital only?
Meanwhile, the reports off-the-field haven't helped to revamp the Tar Heels' image. There have been headlines of internal strife, communication breakdowns, and rumors of Belichick seeking a buyout that have further tainted the program. However, Belichick denied the speculation this week, calling such reports “categorically false” and insisting he remains committed to UNC.
For now, though, the Tar Heels’ struggles in the ratings shows the widening gap between preseason expectations and reality for Belichick’s first college campaign. The NFL was suited for the coaching great, but college game in the new era is still a challenge.
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