The first FBS snap of 2026 will be taken an ocean away. North Carolina and TCU kick off the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at 11 a.m. CT Saturday at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, on ESPN — the fifth straight year the sport has opened in Ireland.
This is not a random pairing. Last September in Chapel Hill, TCU beat the Tar Heels 48–14 in Belichick’s first game as a college head coach: 542 yards, 258 on the ground, three UNC turnovers flipped into two defensive scores. The Horned Frogs are different now. Josh Hoover transferred to Indiana. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles left for South Carolina. Harvard transfer Jaden Craig is the new quarterback; former UConn OC Gordon Sammis is calling plays. TCU is receiving votes in the AP poll (11 points). UNC is unranked.
HASHMARK is not close. TCU is HX 30, UNC HX 87. The model does not buy a revenge narrative. It buys a Power roster against a roster that was 4–8 a year ago.
The Tar Heels named sixth-year transfer Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland, Wisconsin) the starter. Belichick has preached ball security and explosive-play prevention all week. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick remains on medical leave, and Bill will call the defense.
There is no ranked-vs-ranked game in Week 0. This is the closest the sport has to a marquee opener.
Why it matters
Sets the tone for Belichick Year 2. HX says the scoreboard should not be a mystery.
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