North Carolina
Top UConn and North Carolina Players Not Playing in the Fenway Bowl
The UConn Huskies had their best season since 2010, and their reward is a Fenway Bowl clash with a North Carolina Tar Heels side transitioning to an exciting new coaching staff in 2025, led by legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick.
Between injuries, transfer portal entrants, and NFL Draft declarations, there will be several UConn and North Carolina players not playing in the Fenway Bowl.
Top UConn Players Not Playing in Fenway Bowl
Thanks to the CFN Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker, we know which players from the Huskies won’t be in action in the Fenway Bowl.
- Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling, P, UConn (transfer portal)
- Reggie Akles, CB, UConn (transfer portal)
- Durrell Robinson, RB, UConn (transfer portal)
- Jarvarius Sims, CB, UConn (transfer portal)
- Brock Montgomery, WR, UConn (transfer portal)
- Lee Molette III, DB, UConn (transfer portal)
- Julien Simon, LB, UConn (transfer portal)
- Skyler Bell, WR, UConn (transfer portal)
- Pryce Yates, DL, UConn (transfer portal)
- Malcolm Bell, CB, UConn (transfer portal)
10 UConn student-athletes entered the college football transfer portal at the end of the season. The Huskies haven’t issued a depth chart ahead of their matchup with the Tar Heels, and with very little information on social media as to individual intentions on social media, the assumption is that all those players are not playing in the Fenway Bowl.
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Wide receiver Bell is the most notable of the UConn players not playing in the Fenway Bowl. He led the team with 783 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns this season. However, running back Robinson is also in the portal. He paced the team in yards per carry (6.8) and rushing touchdowns (8). The Huskies do have two players available with over 100 carries in 2024.
Top North Carolina Players Not Playing in Fenway Bowl
Thanks to the CFN Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker, we know which players from the Tar Heels won’t be in action in the Fenway Bowl.
- Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina (NFL Draft)
- Garrett Jordan, LS, North Carolina (transfer portal)
- Howard Sampson, OT, North Carolina (transfer portal)
- Zach Greenberg, iOL, North Carolina (transfer portal)
- Andrew Rosinski, OT, North Carolina (transfer portal)
- Conner Harrell, QB, North Carolina (transfer portal)
- Jordan Louie, RB, North Carolina (transfer portal)
- Eli Sutton, iOL, North Carolina (transfer portal)
While it will be Freddie Kitchens rather than Belichick who coaches the Tar Heels in the Fenway Bowl, there’s still some excitement around the program heading into Saturday’s game. Sadly, that will be tempered by the departure of star running back Hampton, who declared for the NFL Draft in early December and opted out of the Fenway Bowl soon after.
MORE: 2025 NFL Draft Underclassmen Tracker
That deprives college football fans of one final look at one of the most explosive playmakers in the country. Hampton led the ACC in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns this fall, increasing his NFL Draft stock exponentially in the process.
Joining Hampton among the North Carolina players not playing in the Fenway Bowl is quarterback Harrell, who appeared in just six games this fall, and several offensive linemen. It’s worth noting that several of the Tar Heels players currently in the transfer portal are set to play on Saturday, including starting linebacker Amare Campbell, who tallied 11 tackles for loss in 2024.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.
North Carolina
2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers
Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:
BERTIE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)
CARTERET COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)
CRAVEN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)
DUPLIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)
EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)
GREENE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)
HYDE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)
JONES COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)
LENOIR COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)
MARTIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)
ONSLOW COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)
PAMLICO COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)
PITT COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)
TYRRELL COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
30.49% (723 out of 2,371)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)
WAYNE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)
North Carolina
Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.
The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.
Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.
SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend
Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo
Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam
Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.
In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.
Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.
Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.
Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.
On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.
“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”
She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.
Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.
Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.
Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.
However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.
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