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Campus Life

Students take first-day sips at the Old Well

Tar Heels participated in the campus tradition, caught up with friends and met football coach Bill Belichick, who handed out bagels and coffee.

Photos by Jon Gardiner and Johnny Andrews, University Communications and Marketing, Monday, August 17th, 2026
A student poses with her dog at the Old Well, holding a pennant that reads
Carolina sophomore Sophie Moser poses with her Australian shepherd, Georgie, at the Old Well on the first day of classes. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

It’s the first day of classes at Carolina, and as Tar Heels know, that means it’s also time to drink from the Old Well for good luck this semester. Thousands of students took part in the tradition, caught up with friends and ran into Carolina football coach Bill Belichick, who handed out bagels and coffee with Alex Brandwein ’20 (MBA) of Brandwein’s Bagels.

View photos from first sip.

U.N.C. Chapel Hill student approaching the fountain of the Old Well to take their first sip.

(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

A man, U.N.C. Chapel Hill Senior Vice Provost for Student Success James Orr, chats with students waiting in line to take a sip from the Old Well.

Senior Vice Provost for Student Success James Orr chats with students. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Student wearing a Carolina Blue U.N.C. shirt posing for photo taken on an iPhone at the fountain of the Old Well.

(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Bill Belichick and Alex Brandwein using a cart to hand out bagels and coffee to students in line to take a sip from the Old Well.

(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

U.N.C. football coach Bill Belichick posing for a photo at the fountain of the Old Well.

(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Student wearing a Carolina shirt approaching the Old Well fountain.

(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

U.NC. Chapel Hill student approaching the fountain of the Old Well. A line of students waiting is seen behind her.

(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Long line of U.N.C. Chapel Hill students waiting to take a sip from the Old Well. The line is going back into McCorkle Place.

(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Wide-angle view from above of students forming a line to take a sip from the Old Well on the campus of U.N.C. Chapel Hill.

(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

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