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North Carolina football is less than two weeks away 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 series of off-the-field headlines largely overshadowed the team.
The controversy continued into the offseason, apparently prompting at least one UNC football alumnus to forgo attending games in person when the 2026 season begins this fall.
Marquise Williams, who earned All-ACC honors in her four years with UNC, announced plans 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 on December 5, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
“I will not be attending any UNC football games this year!” Williams wrote Thursday on X. “The things I hear, I would never have thought of.” He added a broken heart emoji but didn’t specify exactly what turned him off.
Williams still lives in North Carolina and is the quarterbacks coach at Louisburg College. He ranks sixth on UNC’s all-time passing yards list.
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Although Williams’ exact reasoning remains unclear, much of the discussion surrounding the program has focused on Belichick, 73, and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Marquise Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks for success against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during a game at Carter-Finley Stadium on November 28, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
During last year’s widely discussed “CBS News Sunday Morning” interview, Hudson was accused of trying to exert control during the former NFL coach’s session. 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 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 on September 13, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (King Lance/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 called inaccurate narratives.
“Throughout these stormy times, while the boat was capsizing, when people were attacking us with false rumors and false stories – no one has corrected them yet, but that’s OK, we understand – our players stood their ground,” Lombardi said on the “Pat McAfee Show” last week.
