%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20id%3D%22Layer_1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20width%3D%2239px%22%20height%3D%2240px%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2039%2040%22%20enable-background%3D%22new%200%200%2039%2040%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M38.5%2C7H28.2v26h10.3V7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20fill-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20clip-rule%3D%22evenodd%22%20fill%3D%22%23FFFFFF%22%20d%3D%22M26.1%2C25.5c0%2C5.8-4.1%2C7.5-12.9%2C7.5C3.9%2C33%2C0%2C31.2%2C0%2C25.2v-1.1h11.6%0A%09v2.4c0%2C0.7%2C0.1%2C1.4%2C1.2%2C1.4c1%2C0%2C1.2-0.4%2C1.2-1.3v-0.9c0-1.6-0.9-1.6-3.5-2.2C2.2%2C21.7%2C0%2C19.7%2C0%2C15.3v-0.9C0%2C9.3%2C5.5%2C7%2C12.9%2C7%0A%09c10.2%2C0%2C12.8%2C2.6%2C12.8%2C7.4v1.8h-11v-2.9c0-0.6-0.4-1.1-1.2-1.1c-0.6%2C0-1.2%2C0.4-1.2%2C1.1v0.9c0%2C1.5%2C0.9%2C2%2C3.3%2C2.5%0A%09c8%2C1.6%2C10.5%2C3.3%2C10.5%2C7.5V25.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
UNC AD Explains Process Behind Tar Heels Shockingly Getting Into NCAA Tournament
North Carolina is heading to the big dance in 2025—and not a lot of people are happy about that.
The Tar Heels snuck into the men's NCAA Tournament as the last team in despite their softly padded résumé. The school's blue blood pedigree aside, UNC went 1-12 in Quadrant 1 games and stole a spot from arguably more deserving teams like Indiana and Boise State.
CBS Sports' Seth Davis noted on the selection show that the Tar Heels' top-tier nonconference strength of schedule helped them earn a spot in the field.
However, many disgruntled college hoops fans are turning their attention to Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who happens to be the chair of the NCAA tournament selection committee.
Cunningham was asked to explain the process behind North Carolina making into the tournament and why it wasn't a conflict of interest:
"Obviously, I'm going to defer that to Keith," Cunningham said on the selection show. "But all the polices and procedures were followed. And Keith can address exactly how North Carolina was discussed because I was not in the room for any of that."
Keith Gill, the vice chair of the committee, answered the question instead.
"Our polices require the AD of any school to recuse themselves and actually leave the room for those discussions," Gill said. "And they're not allowed to participate in any vote as well... We voted in four teams in the field on Saturday night, and we had a contingency vote.
"The contingency vote—that was the last team in the field. And it was based on Memphis-UAB. If Memphis won that game, then that was going to free up a spot in the tournament and that was going to be North Carolina."
"I was not in the room for any of that."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 16, 2025
Chairman of the NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Committee and UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham explained the process behind the Tar Heels getting into the tournament. pic.twitter.com/vAD7qu4s3F
The shock and frustration fans are feeling over UNC's NCAA tournament berth likely won't be going away anytime soon, but Cunningham's and Gill's answers would suggest there was no foul play involved.
UNC (22-13) will face San Diego State (21-9) as part of the First Four in Dayton to open NCAA tournament play.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.