North Carolina ticket prices soar ahead of Bill Belichick debut

One month away from Bill Belichick’s debut, ticket prices are soaring at North Carolina. The Tar Heels sold out their season ticket allotment, and Front Office Sports reported the secondary market is also seeing an increase.

UNC is set to kick off the 2025 season Sept. 1 against TCU in Chapel Hill. TickPick lists the average resale price at $152 – a 192% increase from the Tar Heels’ season opener a year ago, according to FOS. In fact, the average resale price for North Carolina’s first six home games is up more than 150% from a season ago.

The average resale price is $162 for UNC’s first six home matchups, per FOS – the highest since at least 2019. Additionally, the Week 2 matchup against Charlotte has an average purchase price of $177 with a get-in price of $130. Charlotte is 130 miles from Chapel Hill.

Belichick’s hire has brought plenty of attention to North Carolina, and that was apparent at ACC Media Days last month. Reporters swarmed around the new Tar Heels head coach, who’s fresh off a year away from the sidelines following a decorated NFL coaching career. With six Super Bowl rings as a head coach, Belichick is widely considered one of the greatest coaches of all time.

UNC could also be a major brand from a TV ratings perspective. ESPN has eight – maybe 10 – UNC games on its networks, according to FOS. It’s led to questions about whether Belichick could bring a ratings bonanza similar to Deion Sanders’ first season at Colorado in 2023.

Colorado was a ratings hit, making a near-weekly appearance in the Top 10 most-watched college football games. As for whether ESPN is expecting a Coach Prime-like surge, it certainly sees “potential.”

“We have to wait and see. The potential is there,” said Kurt Dargis, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions, in an interview with FOS. “There’s definitely interest in him outside the typical college football fan.

“Deion was such a phenomenon. I still can’t believe some of the numbers we got that first year he was there. It’s too early to say.”

ESPN’s main channel is set to air North Carolina’s opener against TCU, which will take place in primetime Sept. 1 with an 8 p.m. ET kickoff. The network will also broadcast College Football Countdown from Chapel Hill, hosted by Matt Barrie. Analysts Tedy Bruschi, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban will also be in attendance, as will college football insider Pete Thamel.