TCU and North Carolina will play their 2026 opener in Ireland, which will come a year after coach Bill Belichick’s debut with the Tar Heels at home against the Horned Frogs.

Bill Belichick's North Carolina will face off against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, to open the 2026 season in the annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the schools announced on Tuesday. The matchup marks the first international competition for both programs.

Aer Lingus College Football Classic will be the fifth consecutive year that college football begins its season with a game in Dublin.