UNC ‘Hard Knocks’ deal falls through: Tar Heels won’t be featured in Bill Belichick’s inaugural season

Maybe it was just never meant to be. After weeks of talks among the University of North Carolina, head football coach Bill Belichick and NFL Films, the Tar Heels will not be the subject of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” offseason series, sources tell CBS Sports.

“NFL Films had discussions with Coach Belichick and UNC about appearing on Hard Knocks this offseason but couldn’t reach an agreement,” a spokesperson for NFL Media, which includes NFL Films, told CBS Sports on Tuesday.

As CBS Sports reported late last week, all sides felt they were close on a deal. But a contract had not been struck yet, though the belief was they’d eventually get there. Sources say creative control was at the center of the sides being unable to reach an agreement.

Considering where we are in the NFL calendar, as well as the fact that NFL Films had turned to a college program for the first time ever, it is unlikely any NFL team will participate in the offseason edition of the series.

There were no takers in the NFL after last year’s inaugural run with the New York Giants ahead of what turned into a disastrous 3-14 season. NFL free agency begins on March 12, which doesn’t give the group enough time to find a team that would open its doors for what is the most crucial part of the offseason series.

An announcement regarding the teams participating in the training camp and/or in-season “Hard Knocks” series could be revealed as early as the league’s annual meetings at the start of April.

Sources told CBS Sports there is still a desire within the UNC football program to do some sort of all-access, behind-the-scenes series with some media group. But one source questioned why UNC wouldn’t want the prestige and reach of HBO and NFL Films, the latter of which has worked with Belichick for decades.

Sources at UNC had spotted NFL Films employees in the facility in recent weeks, and there was excitement across the football program and university about the exposure Belichick’s team would receive from the series.

“There are a lot of conversations going on right now about (“Hard Knocks”),” UNC general manager Michael Lombardi told Pat McAfee last week. “We’ve had offers. I don’t think anything’s yet been official or signed. When you’re dealing with the university and the brand that we have at North Carolina, which is incredible, you’ve got to make sure that everything’s done right, all the T’s are crossed.

“Bill has been talking to different people that contacted all of us here and been sorting it out. I don’t think it’s official. If we do do it, the idea is to let people examine what we’re doing, take a look at the 33rd team in the NFL and see how we’re building this program and what we’re trying to accomplish. It’ll give an accurate portrayal.”

UNC begins spring football practice on Tuesday.