Sunday’s matchup will be a step down in competition, as the North Carolina Tar Heels’ recent schedule has featured Michigan State, Kentucky, and Georgetown in the last four weeks. With all due respect to the USC Upstate Spartans, they are not in the same class as any of the three teams mentioned above.

North Carolina’s coaching staff and personnel should not view this game as a pointless outing, as the Tar Heels can utilize this matchup to continue developing key features that will serve them well down the road.

(WLOS) — North Carolina has approved film and entertainment grants for two television series and an independent feature-length film.

According to a release from Gov. Josh Stein, this is expected to create nearly 5,000 jobs and spend more than $113 million during production.

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The productions include season two of “The Hunting Wives,” approved for an award of up to $15 million, filming around Lake Norman and Charlotte, and the new series “RJ Decker” in New Hanover County, which was approved for an award of up to $11.6 million.

The independent thriller “Widow,” which was approved for an award of up to $1.8 million, also recently completed filming in Davidson, Forsyth, Stokes, and Yadkin counties.

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“We are excited to have these new productions in North Carolina creating 4,900 jobs for our state’s crew and film-friendly businesses,” Stein said in the release. “North Carolina remains a top state for film, and these grants enable us to continue our strong tradition of TV and film production excellence.”

Additionally, the romantic comedy film “Merv,” which was filmed in New Hanover County and received a North Carolina Film grant, released on Amazon’s Prime Video on Dec. 10.

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Other productions that were recently filmed in North Carolina include the films “Christy” and “Roofman,” as well as the popular series “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

“These productions bring direct economic benefits and also raise the state’s visibility among audiences, leading to increased tourist activity and visitor spending over time,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley.

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick has fired offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer.

“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement, per ESPN. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”

Kitchens, the former Alabama quarterback and head coach of the Browns in 2019, was the Tar Heels’ interim coach in 2024.

Belichick brought Priefer to UNC after two decades in the NFL, and two years out of football.

Under Kitchens, North Carolina’s offense ranked 119th in scoring (19.3 PPG) and 129th in total offense (288.8 YPG).

The Tar Heels finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC.

Kitchens won Alabama’s Mr. Football honor in 1992 as the quarterback at Etowah High School.

Kitchens shared the quarterback duties at Alabama with Brian Burgdorf in 1995 before taking over full-time under center for the Crimson Tide in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

After three more college stops, Kitchens entered the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys’ tight-ends coach in 2006 and stayed in the league for the next 17 seasons, including as Cleveland’s head coach in 2019, when the Browns went 6-10.