Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The folks behind Hard Knocks had to know they’d have some trouble getting another NFL team to participate in the offseason edition of the program due to what transpired when the Giants were featured last year. That turned out to be the case, but football fans will be getting a more than welcome alternative courtesy of Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels.
It’s been close to 25 years since Hard Knocks premiered on HBO to provide NFL fans with an unprecedented look at the drama that unfolds during the preseason.
Most franchises aren’t scrambling to be featured on Hard Knocks (which is a joint production between the network and NFL Films), but there are only three ways they can avoid befalling that fate: having a first-year head coach, making the playoffs at some point in the last two seasons, or appearing on the program in the previous decade.
Hard Knocks kicked off the same year Bill Belichick and the Patriots kicked off, and his success in New England is a major reason the team is one of the 14 that have not been the primary focus of the main series or its in-season and offseason editions.
Last year, the Giants were the first squad to be featured in the inaugural run of that second spinoff.
Owner John Mara spent decades attempting to dodge the program but agreed to participate to call attention to the 100th anniversary of the franchise—a decision he likely regretted thanks in no small part to the viral clip where he said he’d “have a tough time sleeping” if Saquon Barkley signed with the Eagles after they let him walk before the RB played an instrumental role in Philly’s Super Bowl season.
As things currently stand, there are no rules governing eligibility for the offseason version of Hard Knocks, which means no team can be forced to participate. Based on a new report from Front Office Sports, it seems like the program decided to make a fairly unexpected pivot after it struggled to find a willing suitor.
On Friday, the outlet’s Ryan Glasspiegel reported the 2025 installment of Hard Knocks: Offseason will be heading to Chapel Hill to follow Belichick as he gears up for his first season as the coach at the University of North Carolina.
That’s a fairly surprising development given the skipper’s historically hostile relationship with the press, but it’s obviously a big get for the show based on how many people are curious to see how the soon-to-be 73-year-old will fare after he unexpectedly decided to coach at the college level for the first time (this is also the first time Hard Knocks has featured a college team).
It’s unclear when the new season will debut, although the one featuring the Giants kicked off at the start of July last year.