During spring practice, there was discussion about potential joint sessions between college football teams, notably Colorado and Syracuse. These joint practices, inspired by the NFL’s minicamp model, would allow teams to train and compete together, simulating game-like situations against unfamiliar opponents. At the same time, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was exploring a similar idea.
Bielema shared on the See Ball Get Ball podcast that he reached out to Bill Belichick, who is now with North Carolina, to propose a joint practice or series of sessions between their two programs. He cited his NFL experience, where joint practices are a valuable part of team development, as the inspiration behind the idea. Bielema saw the potential for a beneficial collaboration and wanted to gauge Belichick’s interest.
Bret Bielema and Bill Belichick Explore Joint College Practices, But NCAA Rules Halt Plan for NowNCAA Rules Block Joint Practices, But Future Collaboration Still Remains a Possibility
Despite the enthusiasm, the NCAA ultimately prevented such joint practices from taking place, at least for now. The rules currently don’t allow teams to scrimmage or practice together in this way during the spring or fall. However, Bielema indicated that it remains a possibility down the line if the regulatory environment changes.
For any future joint practices to happen between Illinois and North Carolina, both coaches would need to remain in their current positions. That means Bielema would need to stay with Illinois, and Belichick would need to continue his role at North Carolina. If both conditions hold, the collaboration could eventually materialize.
