TCU head coach Sonny Dykes is deep into preparations for a headline-grabbing Sept. 1, 2025, season opener against North Carolina, now helmed by NFL icon Bill Belichick. The matchup marks Belichick’s college debut after 24 seasons with the New England Patriots, where he won a record six Super Bowls as head coach.
This opener will be TCU’s second in three years against a high-profile first-year coach. The Horned Frogs previously made national headlines in 2023—for all the wrong reasons—as they opened against Colorado and Deion Sanders.
Sonny Dykes Ready for High-Stakes Opener Against Bill Belichick and UNC
When asked how TCU found itself in a similar challenging situation again, coach Sonny Dykes joked with ESPN,
“Not sure how we pulled that off. It’s called bad scheduling.”
The Horned Frogs are set to face North Carolina on Sept. 1, 2025, in a primetime matchup that has drawn major attention due to the Tar Heels’ new head coach—NFL legend Bill Belichick, making his collegiate coaching debut.
Dykes reflected on the 2023 opener, when TCU, coming off a College Football Playoff runner-up season, was heavily favored but fell to Colorado in a high-scoring thriller led by Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, and Travis Hunter.
“Hopefully we’ll fare better than we did last time. We didn’t play well last time, but we’ve got a second chance,” Dykes said.
#TCU‘s Sonny Dykes quips on #UNC opener: ‘Bad scheduling’. https://t.co/MfWqiLIocO
— Newy Scruggs (@newyscruggs) May 29, 2025
Belichick’s arrival at UNC sparked a wave of excitement and uncertainty. Despite his unparalleled NFL success, he is new to college football and inherits a program that has regressed in recent years. North Carolina hasn’t won an ACC title since 1980, but the expectation is that Belichick’s coaching genius could change the program’s trajectory.
The Tar Heels have undergone a major roster overhaul, similar to what Deion Sanders has done at Colorado. North Carolina added over 50 players via the transfer portal, including South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez and eight offensive linemen, many with starting experience.
To prepare, Dykes and his staff have studied game film not only from the Patriots but also from Washington—where Belichick’s son Steve was defensive coordinator last season—and reviewed tape of all these new transfers.
“We’re in the process of trying to look at all those players, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and figure out how to attack the schemes and go play a big game,” Dykes explained. “You can project the two-deep and say, ‘These guys are going to be the starters.”
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In contrast, TCU relied less heavily on the portal and returns quarterback Josh Hoover, who threw for 3,949 yards in 2024. Hoover stands out nationally as the only returning quarterback averaging over 300 yards passing per game (303.8) with a passer rating above 150.
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