The Bill Belichick era at UNC got off to one of the worst starts imaginable as the six-time Super Bowl winning coach and the Tar Heels got blown out by TCU in their season-opener on Monday night.
North Carolina brought all the fanfare—and the fans, with the likes of Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm in attendance—but apparently didn't bring their A-game, and the Horned Frogs ended up crushing them 48-14 in an embarrassing home loss.
One would think that the press conference following such a beating would be somber. It was, after all, the most points a Belichick team has ever given up, and in the newly anointed UNC coach's highly publicized season-opener to boot.
But college football reporters were in for a treat when they walked into the presser, as they were immediately greeted by a wall of blue and white balloons. It's unclear whether the school expected a win and forgot to take down the balloons, or left them up there to create a cheerier atmosphere.
Fans had lots of jokes about the tacky set-up:
A lot to clean up from Bill Belichick’s college debut, starting with the tackiest postgame press conference setup in football history. https://t.co/ZHJQKisdfy
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 2, 2025
Looks like a 7 year-old's birthday party after a 34 point loss.. https://t.co/7WsG3PkXN9
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) September 2, 2025
WTF is that press conference setting? Is he at the fall formal? https://t.co/I5I8uXUG6a
— Matt Perrault (@sportstalkmatt) September 2, 2025
Tell me your girlfriend is 24 without telling me your girlfriend is 24 https://t.co/NfSfzjgG7y
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) September 2, 2025
Now why do they have the presser looking like a baby shower https://t.co/QjX6vaetJj
— Augusta Stone (@augustalstone) September 2, 2025
Them balloons make me feel like I’m at a Gen Z gender reveal. https://t.co/hdnpIWa1kL
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) September 2, 2025
Better luck next time, Bill.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick’s Balloon-Filled Press Conference Room After UNC Loss Roasted by Fans.
