UNC vs. Stanford Will Have Added Bragging Rights in 2025

On November 8, there will be a clash between two pro level coaches. Stanford’s tenth game of the year will be a road game to Chapel Hill, where they face North Carolina for an ACC showdown. It will be the first time meeting since Stanford joined the conference in 2024.

Although both programs have had tons of success in the past, both teams have been more mediocre this decade. Stanford has had some big time wins, but still has fallen to 3-9 four years in a row. North Carolina hasn’t been as bad, but hasn’t had a 10-win season since 2015. They went 6-7 last season, but still managed to play in (and lose) the Fenway Bowl.

Over the offseason, both programs made big time moves that could move their program to the next level. Just before spring ball, Stanford hired former NFL head coach Frank Reich to take over after the firing of Troy Taylor. Reich has been a head coach in the NFL for six seasons, where he was in charge of the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers. He is with the Cardinal for the 2025 campaign as the program searches for its long-term fit.

On the other hand, North Carolina made one of the biggest moves in college football history, hiring Bill Belichick to take over in Chapel Hill. Belichick has been arguably the best coach in NFL history, leading the New England Patriots to their seemingly never-ending dynasty with Tom Brady.

The move to North Carolina was a bit of a shocker, but seems this like a great hire for the Tar Heels. In the NFL, the two coaches matched up five times, with Belichik taking home four wins in those contests.

So far this offseason, both coaches have made big-time moves.

Reich has kept a decent number of players, despite the coaching change. He has also brought in multiple quarterbacks with starting experience to presumably back up freshman Elijah Brown. Stanford has also brought in many recruits at the high school level for both this year and beyond. The program looks to be taking a step forward with Andrew Luck as the GM.

Belichick has made many moves since moving into Chapel Hill, including the addition of 21 new players, along with seven that had been signed before. Players are buying into playing for coach Belichick, what he can do at the college level, and for their own career aspirations.

The two will meet next season to show college football fans something that is fairly rare: Two elite former NFL head coaches going head-to-head at the college level, trying to rebuild their respective programs.

For football fans, this will be a must-watch game to see how these two former NFL coaches lead this two rebuilding programs. North Carolina will likely be the favorite to win this one, but Stanford may have the talent to surprise a couple of teams this season, too. Maybe UNC is one of those teams.