Could North Carolina And Bill Belichick Soon Be SEC-Bound?
Image: Ben McKeown, Associated Press
By Aidan Sidoti
Realignment chatter is once again heating up in the Southeastern Conference, and North Carolina looks to be the next school to join the prestigious conference, per InsideCarolina.
Reports indicate that UNC is ‘aiming’ for the SEC under the leadership of incoming athletic director Steve Newmark and Chancellor Lee Roberts. The Tar Heels, along with Clemson, are reportedly in prime position to join the SEC– potentially ending a run in the ACC that dates back to its founding in 1953.
The timing certainly isn’t random. The exit fees for current ACC schools drops from $93 million to $75 million in 2030, which could be the deciding figure for UNC to make its move.
With fake UT and Oklahoma spending a full year in the SEC, adding North Carolina’s brand of basketball prowess to the SEC would only strengthen its claim as the top conference in the country.
Kentucky fans would be absolutely pissed.
Let’s also not forget the Bill Belichick factor.
Sure, the 73-year-old might have half of his assets already taken by Jordon Hudson in 2030, but he’s already sold out UNC’s season ticket allotment and turned Chapel Hill into an unlikely college football media hotspot.
The idea isn’t far-fetched. ACC exit fees are dropping in half a decade, UNC’s leadership is shifting, and the SEC eyeing expansion, the move makes a lot of sense.
Unless you’re a fan of ‘The Battle of Tobacco Road.’
