CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN) — There’s a different buzz this year as the Atlantic Coast Conference hosts its media days ahead of the 2025 football season.
The biggest reason, of course, comes down to one name — Bill Belichick.
North Carolina’s headline-making and sometimes head-scratching offseason hire will have all eyes on him as the eight-time Super Bowl winning coach — six of which came as the head coach of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots — begins his tenure at the helm of a college football program.
Though the spotlight will be brightest on Belichick, he’s not the only Triangle ACC coach who will be scrutinized this season. NC State’s Dave Doeren, who now has a dozen seasons in Raleigh under his belt, will be working with new coordinators on both sides of the ball. In Durham, Manny Diaz is looking to lead Duke to another big bowl game in just his second season with the team.
The Triangle teams will be the last to speak at the three-day event in Charlotte this week, with Duke, UNC and NC State all scheduled to have their turns Thursday afternoon in that order. But there will be plenty to talk about before and after the head coaches and select players take questions from the media.
Here are three storylines to keep an eye on for each team as the 2025 ACC Kickoff gets underway in Charlotte.
UNC Tar Heels — Bill Belichick, 1st season
The Tar Heels start 2025 with the most buzz in the area, along with some of the biggest question marks.
How will Bill Belichick’s style work in college football?
Belichick is probably the most successful head coach in the history of the NFL, and even though college football in 2025 resembles the pro game more closely than ever, it’s still a different brand of football played by younger players that are recruited and not drafted. Belichick’s goal has been to run UNC’s football program like a professional organization, which should help in theory with recruiting. But adjusting to a pro’s ways can be vastly different for an 18-year-old vs. a 22-year-old. Even if the idea is a success, it might take more than one season to get there.
Who’s under center?
Gio Lopez transferred from South Alabama, and he’s one of the team’s representatives in Charlotte at the annual season kickoff event. Lopez completed two-thirds of his passes last season and threw just five interceptions, but those numbers came against the likes of Louisiana-Monroe and Southern Miss. Lopez did throw for 173 yards without an interception against LSU last September. But the learning curve could be steep, even with UNC’s first conference clash not happening until the sixth week of the regular season.
What will we learn in the first half of the season?
The first seven weeks of UNC’s season includes two bye weeks, along with battles at Charlotte and UCF in addition to the home games against TCU and Richmond. In the middle of all that tuning up, Clemson comes to Chapel Hill on Oct. 11. Having a week off before and after the Clemson game could turn out to be a big benefit for Belichick’s staff as they look to tweak strategies and fix mistakes, but it leaves seven straight ACC games on the slate between Oct. 17 and Nov. 29. Seven key games in 43 days will tell the story of the 2025 Heels, but there may still be question marks going in to mid-October.
NC State Wolfpack — Dave Doeren, 13th season
The head coach and quarterback stay the same, but key changes have happened almost everywhere else for the Wolfpack.
How will the new coordinators re-shape the Pack on offense and defense?
Tony Gibson’s string of strong defenses in Raleigh ended when he took the Marshall head coaching job. Enter D.J. Eliot, who boasts an impressive resume with defensive coordinator stops at Kentucky, Colorado, Kansas and Temple. Eliot will need to find replacements at several positions on defense, with only six defensive players on the roster having taking 200 or more snaps last season. On offense, Kurt Roper is in for Robert Anae, and he’ll be able to build around returning quarterback C.J. Bailey.
Can Bailey take another step forward this season?
As a freshman last year, Bailey passed for 200 of more yards in seven games and had just two incompletions in an impressive win over Stanford in early November. Bailey can count on targets like returning tight end Justin Joly, but his progress in year two might determine if the Wolfpack can take a jump forward from last year’s six-win season.
What will the ECU game tell us?
Rivalries are great for fans, but 2024 ended with NC State and East Carolina fighting in the middle of the field at the Go Bowling Military Bowl. Those same two teams are set to clash again to start 2025, and while it’s a welcome addition to the regular season schedule, emotions could become the centerpiece of the season opener at a time when the Pack will need to tune up quickly. Their next three opponents? Virginia, Wake Forest, and Duke.
Duke Blue Devils — Manny Diaz, 2nd season
The Blue Devils would love to repeat — or maybe even improve on — a nine-win season and a berth in the Gator Bowl in 2024.
Can Mensah make the offense better?
Darian Mensah arrives via the transfer portal with immediate pressure. Malik Murphy threw for 26 touchdowns last season, but the interception total and general offensive flow can still take a step forward. All eyes will be on Mensah from day one.
How much of the load will the defense have to carry?
Part of 2024’s success in Durham was a defense that forced 24 fumbles — Duke only coughed up the ball 11 times on offense all season — and defensive back Chandler Rivers and defensive end Wesley Williams are back for 2025. Forty-three sacks from last season was a season-tilting total. Is a repeat reasonable?
What can Duke take away from the Illinois game?
2024’s success was defined in part by a strong showing early on against Northwestern. This season, Illinois awaits the Devils on Sept. 6, right after the season opener against Elon. Both games are in Durham, and Manny Diaz would love to take a 2-0 record on the road to Tulane in the third week of the season. Two byes in October will help heal any early bumps and bruises, and there may be a few after back to back games against NC State, at Syracuse and at California.