- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,231,416
- Reaction score
- 59
College football season is nearly upon us. In just over a month, your North Carolina Tar Heels take the field for their 2026 campaign, one which fans hope is a massive improvement from a disappointing 2025.
UNC had a "manageable" schedule on paper last fall, but this year is a completely different story. With matchups against TCU, Clemson, Notre Dame and Miami (FL), North Carolina's path to victories in 2026 is much tougher.
Regardless of how the Tar Heels play this fall, they'll be doing so without a constant on the sidelines. Longtime football reporter Lee Pace, who covered UNC on the sidelines for 22 years, is retiring effective immediately.
For context on how long Pace spent time within the program, his first year covering North Carolina football came in 2004 during the John Bunting days. Pace witnessed the Butch Davis, Everett Withers, Larry Fedora and Mack Brown 2.0 eras, plus Bill Belichick's first year as the Tar Heels' head coach.
UNC welcomes 61 new players to its 2026 roster, with increased talent across the board. Wide receiver Jordan Shipp and defensive end Melkart Abou-Jaoude highlight returners, Billy Edwards and Derek McDonald are notable transfer portal additions, while Travis Burgess and Zavion Griffin-Haynes are highly-touted high school recruits.
If there's an encouraging difference entering this fall, Belichick has a full offseason with his players, as opposed to being hired in the middle of December. Belichick received an eye-opening taste of what it takes to coach in college last fall and, hopefully, he knows what to fix this season.
It'll be weird watching games this fall without Pace on the sidelines, but we thank him for his lifelong commitment to covering the Tar Heels.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Longtime UNC football journalist announces retirement
Continue reading...
UNC had a "manageable" schedule on paper last fall, but this year is a completely different story. With matchups against TCU, Clemson, Notre Dame and Miami (FL), North Carolina's path to victories in 2026 is much tougher.
Regardless of how the Tar Heels play this fall, they'll be doing so without a constant on the sidelines. Longtime football reporter Lee Pace, who covered UNC on the sidelines for 22 years, is retiring effective immediately.
For context on how long Pace spent time within the program, his first year covering North Carolina football came in 2004 during the John Bunting days. Pace witnessed the Butch Davis, Everett Withers, Larry Fedora and Mack Brown 2.0 eras, plus Bill Belichick's first year as the Tar Heels' head coach.
UNC welcomes 61 new players to its 2026 roster, with increased talent across the board. Wide receiver Jordan Shipp and defensive end Melkart Abou-Jaoude highlight returners, Billy Edwards and Derek McDonald are notable transfer portal additions, while Travis Burgess and Zavion Griffin-Haynes are highly-touted high school recruits.
If there's an encouraging difference entering this fall, Belichick has a full offseason with his players, as opposed to being hired in the middle of December. Belichick received an eye-opening taste of what it takes to coach in college last fall and, hopefully, he knows what to fix this season.
It'll be weird watching games this fall without Pace on the sidelines, but we thank him for his lifelong commitment to covering the Tar Heels.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Longtime UNC football journalist announces retirement
Continue reading...
