Bill Belichick Explains Why He Banned Patriots Staff from UNC Facility

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick seemingly confirmed a recent ESPN report that New England Patriots staffers are banned from UNC when speaking to media after Saturday's win over Charlotte.

"It's clear I'm not welcome there at their facility. So they're not welcome at ours," Belichick said Saturday, per The Athletic's David Ubben.

ESPN's Kalyn Kahler reported Thursday that the Patriots had been informed of the ban from UNC "the day before one of their scouts was scheduled to visit in August."

The Athletic's Jeff Howe, Bruce Feldman, Chad Graff and Sam Khan Jr. reported that the scout, an NC State grad, had been banned not because of his college affiliation but because of Belichick's history with the Patriots.

An anonymous UNC source told The Athletic reporters, "Why would we let them in our home after how he's been treated since he left? They get all our tape (and) can call our staff for player info. We will help our players, but being treated fairly is a two-way street."

The Patriots did not try to schedule another visit to UNC practice or to the Tar Heels' season-opening loss to TCU, according to The Athletic.

When asked about the reported ban on Friday, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he plans to "cross that bridge when we start looking at players."

"I want to focus on our football team, and that's their prerogative to make the decisions they feel like are best for them," Vrabel said, per Boston.com's Khari A. Thompson. "And then we'll have to find other ways to get the information for any players that we want to look at North Carolina."

Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after 24 seasons in 2024 in what the franchise initially described as a mutual decision.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft later said he had fired Belichick in part because of what he described as a need to "adapt."

Belichick's restrictions reportedly go farther than just his former team. Kahler also reported that North Carolina offers limited access to all NFL programs.

One scout told Kahler NFL representatives are only allowed to watch three periods of UNC practice. Practices usually span between 26 and 28 periods, according to The Athletic.

The Tar Heels earned their first win of the season with a 20-3 Saturday night triumph over Charlotte. Belichick will look to continue building on the victory while ramping up to UNC's first ranked opponent during a matchup with No. 8 Clemson on Oct. 4.