Christmas came a little early for UNC football fans.

On December 11, the UNC football program announced that former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would take over the post-Mack Brown era.

On SportsCenter, Pete Thamel spoke out about the aftermath and what he believes the Tar Heels will become now that they have arguably the most decorated coach in the sport.

“North Carolina instantly becomes the most intriguing program in all of college football.”

Not only that, Thamel added that UNC is contesting big-time football conferences such as the SEC and Big 10 despite being predominantly a basketball school over the years.

“This is North Carolina telling the SEC…the B1G, that ‘we are in the big-time football business even though we’ve really only won big at a truly elite level in basketball in recent years.”‘

Is UNC turning into a football school? It’s still a year away until the Belichick era begins, but it’s an exciting time for Carolina fans all across the country.

The thought of UNC becoming a football school is something many would have never thought about three years ago — basketball has always been at the top of athletics.

Many first frowned upon having Belichick in Chapel Hill. His age was the biggest concerning factor, on top of his inexperience in the world of college football. Former head coach Mack Brown was 73 years old and is now replaced by someone just a year younger than him. It’s not exactly the ideal situation, but it’s hard to pass up on a six-time Super Bowl championship-winning coach.

Buckle up, folks. This is about to be a crazy ride, one that will be remembered for ages. North Carolina hopes to turn its program around after a struggling stretch of seasons despite having NFL-caliber quarterbacks lining up behind the center.