Bill Belichick ‘Excited’ About UNC-TCU Game Set for Ireland in 2026

If he coaches North Carolina beyond 2025, Belichick will coach overseas for the fifth time in his career.

Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels coaches during North Carolina's "Practice Like a Pro" Spring Football Event in Chapel Hill, N.C., on April 12, 2025. Peyton Williams/Getty Images

Longtime football coaching great Bill Belichick could coach a game overseas at least one more time.

If he coaches North Carolina beyond 2025, he will lead the Tar Heels against TCU in Ireland, a matchup the schools announced on Tuesday. The two teams will meet in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this season, and TCU will be the “home team” in Dublin, Ireland, next year.

“We’re grateful to be selected to participate in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic,” Belichick said in a statement from UNC. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for our program, and we’re excited to represent the university and our fans on an international stage.”

Belichick has coached games on foreign turf four times in his 23-year career with the New England Patriots. He went 3–1 in those games between 2009 and 2023—in London twice, Mexico City, and Frankfurt, Germany.

International games have been around for years for both the NFL and college football, and Ireland has become a popular spot for the college gridiron over the past three years because of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Georgia Tech won the last one in 2024, besting Florida State 24–21.

“We are excited to welcome TCU and North Carolina to Dublin for the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic and offer one-of-a-kind experiences to local and traveling fans,” John Anthony, co-founder of the Aer Lingus Classic and executive vice president of On Location, said in a statement.

“This compelling matchup promises to deliver another unforgettable start to the college football season in front of a passionate crowd at Aviva Stadium.  We are honored that elite universities like TCU and UNC will continue our tradition to deliver ‘Much More Than a Game’ to their programs and supporters.”

According to UNC, 47,998 fans attended the game at Aviva Stadium last year, drawing visitors from 26 countries and generating $146 million in revenue. Irish Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture, and Sport Patrick O’Donovan called the game “a firm fixture on the Irish sporting calendar” in its fourth-straight year of being played.

“It has huge benefits for Irish tourism, the wider economy, and our sports ecosystem, and indeed creates a great atmosphere in Dublin for visitors and locals alike,” O’Donovan said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming the teams and their supporters in August 2026 to Aviva Stadium and to Dublin and beyond, as they take the opportunity of the occasion to explore other parts of Ireland.”

Nebraska and Northwestern played in Ireland during the 2022 season in front of 42,699 fans, and Notre Dame-Army drew 49,000 in 2023. Big 12 rivals Iowa State and Kansas State will meet in this year’s game.

Also from the Big 12, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes looks forward to the opportunity in 2026 for the Aug. 29 game. Originally, the Horned Frogs and Tar Heels were set to play in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 5 that year.

“We will take great pride in representing TCU internationally,” Dykes said in a statement. “With a good number of our players not having traveled overseas, I am most happy for them to have this opportunity and very much appreciate Aer Lingus and Irish American Events making it possible for them, as well as all of TCU, to share in this experience.

“It will be special to take the field in Dublin and for our fans to see us on this type of stage in Ireland. We have enjoyed watching past Aer Lingus College Football Classic games, and it’s a true honor for us to now play in it and kick off the 2026 college football season.”

Until then, UNC and TCU first meet on Sept. 1 when Belichick will make his Tar Heels debut after a year away from coaching.