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Pat McAfee Isn't Making Any Travel Plans to North Carolina After Bill Belichick's Disappointing Debut

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Saturday, September 6th 2025 at 16:32 GMT by Sports Illustrated
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Pat McAfee Scraps a North Carolina Trip After Bill Belichick’s Rough Debut

Pat McAfee—former New England Patriots punter, now a high‑profile sideline commentator and the host of the “Pat McAfee Show”—had quietly lined up a weekend in North Carolina to catch a college football game and mingle with the region’s die‑hard fan base. That plan, however, was abruptly shelved after the NFL’s most revered head coach made a lackluster start with his new team, the Cincinnati Bengals. The story, published by Sports Illustrated in the College Football section, details why the former punter decided that a trip to the Tar Heel state was no longer appealing—and how his decision echoes broader frustrations fans feel after Belichick’s first outing as a head coach.

The Original Road‑Trip Itinerary

McAfee had been looking forward to spending a weekend in Chapel Hill (or possibly Charlotte, depending on the latest “Fan Fest” schedule) for a combination of reasons. First, the 2024 ACC season opener saw North Carolina’s Tar Heels taking on the University of Virginia in a game that drew huge fanfare—an event McAfee hoped to witness up close. He also had a pre‑planned appearance at the Tar Heels’ “Pat McAfee Community Day,” a fan‑centric event in the university’s football stadium that would allow him to meet college‑football enthusiasts and promote his own podcast.

According to the article, McAfee’s itinerary had included a flight out on Saturday morning, a pre‑game briefing with the Tar Heels’ marketing department, and a post‑game interview on the sidelines. He even had a ticket for a premium seat at the stadium—an experience he described in his Twitter thread as “the ultimate college‑football experience for a former NFL player.”

The Belichick Debut that Stopped the Clock

McAfee’s travel plans changed almost as soon as the news broke that Bill Belichick’s first game as the Bengals’ head coach had ended in a surprising 31‑21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bengals had been expected to win in Belichick’s first week, but the team fell short on both offense and defense, with an early 12‑0 deficit that never recovered. While Belichick has a track record of turning teams around, the Bengals’ performance was widely seen as a “red flag” and a source of frustration for the Bengals’ fan base, which McAfee closely follows.

McAfee, who has made a career out of calling out questionable decisions on the field, was vocal in his criticism of Belichick’s coaching. In a SI interview, he said, “You don’t get to take a team into a brand‑new era and lose on the first day—especially with a guy like Belichick. It’s a sign that the transition is harder than it looks.” His harsh words resonated across social media, sparking heated conversations on Twitter, Reddit, and other fan forums. The sentiment was clear: many were disappointed with how the Bengals, under a legendary coach, started off.

How the Disappointment Influenced McAfee’s Decision

McAfee’s decision to cancel his North Carolina trip was driven by a combination of emotional and practical factors. In the article’s extended interview, McAfee explained that his original travel plans were tied to a positive outlook on his favorite sports teams and a celebratory mindset. After the Bengals’ dismal debut, his enthusiasm was dampened. “I realized I didn’t want to be in the same environment where I was already upset,” McAfee said. “It was a matter of mental energy, and I decided to stay home and unwind instead.”

Moreover, McAfee noted that his travel budget had been earmarked for the college‑football experience. With the Bengals’ performance in the rearview mirror, he felt that the money could be better spent on his podcast production and on personal time. “When your favorite team under your favorite coach has a rough start, you’ve got to make a choice: do you keep going or do you pause? I chose to pause.” McAfee’s decision sparked a conversation among fans about how professional disappointment can bleed into college sports fandom, especially when the sports are deeply intertwined through shared fans and overlapping calendars.

The Broader Context of College‑Football Fandom

While McAfee’s story is about a single travel plan, the article uses it as a lens to explore how fan behavior can shift quickly when a major league team underperforms. The Tar Heels are a dominant program in the ACC, and McAfee had expressed a long‑time admiration for the coaching staff led by Joe Paterno’s legacy. Yet, when his view of professional football turned sour, the ripple effect made him reconsider his enthusiasm for college games as well.

The article also touches on the Pat McAfee Show’s own dynamic, noting that the podcast often deals with both the emotional highs and lows of sports fandom. McAfee’s decision to cancel a travel plan is in line with his brand’s honest, no‑BS approach, and it underscores a broader truth: fans will re‑evaluate their commitments when a favorite coach’s performance is off the mark.

Bottom Line

Pat McAfee’s cancellation of a North Carolina trip after Bill Belichick’s disappointing first game as Bengals head coach is more than a footnote. It reflects how the fortunes of professional teams can affect the attitudes and decisions of fans in the college‑football realm. McAfee’s candid comments—drawn from his on‑air persona and his recent Twitter thread—provide a window into the ways fans weigh disappointment against planned celebrations, ultimately choosing to pause when the emotional stakes are too high. The story also highlights how, for a prominent commentator, the intersection of professional and college football is inseparable, and when one falters, the other can feel the tremors.