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North Carolina football is less than two weeks from opening summer camp ahead of its second season under seven-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick led the Tar Heels to a 4-8 record in his first season in Chapel Hill, but a string of off-field headlines largely overshadowed the team.
The controversy has carried into the offseason, apparently prompting at least one prominent UNC football alumnus to forgo attending games in person when the 2026 season begins this fall.
Marquise Williams, who earned All-ACC honors during his four-year run with UNC, announced his plan to skip games this year.
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Marquise Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels warms up before a game against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium Dec. 5, 2015, in Charlotte, N.C. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
“I will not be attending any UNC football games this year!” Williams wrote Thursday on X. “The things I’m hearing man I would have never thought.” He added a broken heart emoji but did not elaborate on exactly what put him off.
Williams still lives in North Carolina and serves as quarterbacks coach at Louisburg College. He ranks sixth on UNC’s all-time passing yards list.
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While Williams’ exact reasoning remains unclear, much of the chatter surrounding the program has centered on Belichick, 73, and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Marquise Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks to pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during a game at Carter-Finley Stadium Nov. 28, 2015, in Raleigh, N.C. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
During last year’s widely discussed “CBS News Sunday Morning” interview, Hudson faced accusations that she attempted to exert control during the former NFL coach’s sit-down. The interview was part of a promotional tour for Belichick’s new book, “The Art of Winning — Lessons from My Life in Football.”
The viral moment sparked questions about Hudson’s involvement in both his personal and professional life and whether it could affect football operations.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Jordon Hudson before a game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium Sept. 13, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Lance King/Getty Images)
North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi recently addressed the scrutiny and outside criticism that surrounded the program last season, defending the team’s response amid what he characterized as inaccurate accounts.
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“All during those stormy times, all during when the boat was getting capsized, when people were attacking us with fake rumors and fake stories all over — nobody’s corrected them yet, but that’s OK, we understand — our players hung together,” Lombardi told the “Pat McAfee Show” last week.
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