The North Carolina controversy explained: How did the Tar Heels get in the 2025 NCAA tournament?
Like it or not, the UNC Tar Heels are in the March Madness Tournament for 2025. Whether they deserve to be there or not, however, is up for debate.
On Selection Sunday this past Sunday, the men’s college basketball teams for this year’s NCAA tournament were revealed, and one team already made a name for itself as the most controversial on the list.
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels earned their berth into the March Madness tournament, and some argue they were given preferential treatment.
UNC Tar Heels and the March Madness controversy
The Tar Heels are no strangers to the NCAA tournament, but of all the years to see them in it, this one was strange. They didn’t earn their way in via the ACC tournament since they lost, but were instead selected by the committee as one of the 36 at-large bids.
But UNC finished their season at 22-13, and even worse, 1-12 in Quadrant 1 games (against the more valuable opponents). They were 8-0 against Quad 2 competition. Meanwhile, West Virginia, Ohio State, Boise State, and Indiana were among the first four left out of the bid for March Madness, despite the fact that they all had favorable records against Quad 1 competition.
Heartbroken for @WVUhoops. I can’t comprehend this team being left out. Our resume was better than several teams in the field and it’s a terrible travesty that we weren’t included. I have so much appreciation for @Coach_DeVries, our coaching staff and players. They deserved… pic.twitter.com/SDOemgXeZ0
— Wren Baker (@wrenbaker) March 16, 2025
This was all made worse by the fact that North Carolina’s athletic director, Bubba Cunningham, was the selection committee’s chair, leading some to question the integrity of the school’s bid.
Bubba Cunningham—UNC Athletic Director and Selection Committee Chair—willl earn an estimated $104K bonus as a result of the Tar Heels making the tournament.
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) March 17, 2025
UNC notably made the tournament over teams like Indiana and West Virginia. pic.twitter.com/1wCigfaQeU
However, vice chair Keith Gill assured that any athletic directors of any school being considered must “recuse themselves and actually leave the room for those discussions, and they’re not allowed to participate in the vote as well.” Cunningham also said he was not in the room for the discussions.
Gill explained that UNC earned its spot due to a “contingency vote” after Memphis beat UAB in the AAC championship game. He said that if UAB had beat Memphis, who was the favorite, then UNC would have been pushed out of the bid. But since Memphis won, they were given the automatic bid and one was left for the at-large bid, and given to North Carolina.
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Despite this reassurance and reasoning, not everyone is convinced, and questions surrounding the Tar Heel’s legitimacy in this tournament are still being debated.
Whether North Carolina should be in or not is a good debate. Their AD is the chairman of the selection committee but cannot be in the room when the Tar Heels are discussed. But it’s human nature that it doesn’t hurt UNC’s chances when other members of the committee have spent so…
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) March 16, 2025
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