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Bubba Cunningham Faces Intense Backlash Over UNC's Controversial NCAA Tournament Bid

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Mar 17, 2025 8:30 AM ET

With the NCAA Tournament field fully revealed on Sunday night during Selection Sunday, the most talked-about story was the inclusion of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Despite finishing the season 22-13 and going just 1-12 against Quad 1 opponents, they were named the final team in the bracket over deserving teams like West Virginia and Indiana.

Only about 10% of bracketologists had North Carolina making the field after their loss to Duke in the ACC tournament, raising questions about the committee's decision.

The backlash against this decision was immediate, with many questioning how the Tar Heels could make the cut. A major point of contention was the fact that the committee's chairman is none other than North Carolina's own athletic director, Bubba Cunningham. While Cunningham was not present during the selection discussions for his own team, critics argue that his influence played a significant role in North Carolina's inclusion in the field.

THIS IS WILD

Bubba Cunningham is the chairman of the NCAA Tournament, and he is also the AD of the University of North Carolina.

UNC somehow made the tournament, and it is by far the most controversial team to have made it in.

HOW IS THIS ALLOWED??? CRAZY. pic.twitter.com/ms1yyu7HVC
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 16, 2025

"Don’t worry folks. Bubba Cunningham couldn’t be in the room to vote for his own school. He could only be in the room to vote against other bubble teams. Feel better? What a joke," A fan said.

"Bubba Cunningham is a disgrace to college basketball. Let’s petition to have him removed from ncaa tourney selection committee after the most obvious bias you’ll ever see. They can’t even answer the questions on why UNC were deemed worthy," Someone else added.

"So Bubba Cunningham recused himself from the room but before doing so was like hey guys do me a solid. Is that how it works?" Another fan posted.

One more fan commented, "his is simply a ridiculous conflict - Bubba Cunningham gets over $104,000 for UNC making the NCAA Tournament and HE’S THE HEAD OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE!!!"

Another layer to the controversy is the fact that Cunningham is set to receive a $104,000 bonus for North Carolina’s inclusion in the tournament, according to 247Sports. This adds fuel to the fire for critics, who argue that his financial stake in the team's success creates a conflict of interest.

What further heightens the debate is the fact that West Virginia and Ohio State both had six Quad 1 victories, while Indiana had four, compared to North Carolina's one. Yet, all three were among the last four out.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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