Pete Thamel calls out reporting of Jordon Hudson being banned from UNC football facility

On May 9, former ESPN analyst Pablo Torre of Pablo Torre Finds Out reported that North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick‘s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, had been banned from the Tar Heels’ football facilities. On the College GameDay Podcast, ESPN’s Pete Thamel addressed this claim.

“The ban from the facility thing, Rece, made me laugh because it was reported as specifically banned from the facility,” Thamel said. “I saw it that morning, and I was like, ‘That’s just not true. She didn’t rob a bank. Some of what’s been reported, like the hyperbole of it got a lot of the headlines. He won’t come back, the ban from the facility — and they just weren’t true.

“The core here is that UNC has made it clear, and Bill Belichick has made it clear that like any sort of formal role within the program is just not going to exist. And that’s really what’s coming out of this, and that’s not a particularly interesting headline, quite frankly.”

Thamel isn’t the only one who’s refuted Torre’s report. North Carolina released a statement addressing Torre’s bombshell claim.

“While Jordon Hudson is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics, she is welcome to the Carolina Football facilities,” the statement read, per Nakos. “Jordon will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand outside of his responsibilities for Carolina Football and the University.”

Rumors around Hudson’s role in the UNC football program grew this offseason after requested UNC athletic department staff to copy Hudson in all emails involving him. Additionally, several videos surfaced of Hudson walking on the field during UNC practice, talking to Belichick and other staff members. Thamel believes the videos of Hudson on the field were misinterpreted.

“UNC didn’t even have a PR person when we were there for practice that day,” Thamel said. “They were in flux in that department. It seems as if, and this is my intimation, she probably tried to fill a need because they were a couple of bodies short. They filled those bodies. They have good PR people. They’re moving on.”

Earlier this month, UNC hired Brandon Faber, who was formerly the Chicago Bears’ PR director. During an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Belichick clarified Hudson’s professional connection to him.

“Well, nothing with North Carolina, that would be No. 1,” Belichick said. “It would be personal opportunities, could be a speaking thing. It could be an appearance on this, or talk about that, or somebody wants, whatever it happens to be, autographs or that type of thing. She’ll kind of help organize that for me.”