Technically, the NCAA selection committee chairman Bubba Cunningham was not allowed to vote for the Basketball Team of North Carolina while choosing the 68 team March Madness Field.
As a athletic director of the school, he was not only forbidden to choose the Tar Heels for the men's and ladies tournaments, but he was not even allowed in the Chamber for those discussions, according to his vice chairman, Keith Gill.
But when the 22-13 Tar Heels received a tournament bid in one way or another without any characteristic victory in 2024-25, College Basketbalfans Cunningham could not help but blame his observed corruption. Many saw Indiana, West Virginia and Boise State as better choices, but all three schools were beaten on Sunday.
“Bubba Cunningham is one of the most flagrant corrupt men in modern sports history,” wrote a fan of Indiana on X after selection on Sunday.
“How is this allowed?” Another fan asked online.
Cunningham was asked about the observed conflict of interest during the Sunday Show selection on CBS.
Technically, the NCAA selection committee chairman Bubba Cunningham was not allowed to vote for the Basketball Team of North Carolina while choosing the 68 team March Madness Field
“It is clear that I will postpone that to Keith,” said Cunningham, referring to Gill. “But all policy measures and procedures were followed and Keith can tackle exactly how North Carolina was discussed because I was not in the room for that.”
According to Gill, Cunningham was forbidden to have contributions or even listen to discussions about the fate of North Carolina.
“Our policy requires the advertisement of a school to restore itself and leave those discussions behind and they should not actually participate in a mood,” Gill told CBS. “So we followed it, had many discussions about North Carolina.
“You know, on Saturday evening we took our final vote and voted in four teams in the field on Saturday evening and we had an unforeseen voice,” he continued. “And, the unforeseen voice? That was the last team in the field. It was based on Memphis and UAB. If Memphis won that match, that would free up a place in the tournament and that would be North Carolina. If UAB had won, Memphis would be in the tournament, UAB would have been in the tournament and North Carolina would have been the first team.
“And so that process played today. Memphis won and that placed North Carolina in the field. '
Critics point to the record of 1-12 from UNC against so-called quad 1 schools in the midst of a historically bad season for the ACC.
“I'm so sick of this nonsense,” wrote an angry UNC Charlotte fan on X. “Why even play the tournament? They went 1-12 against quad 1 and they steal a bid from Boise State or UC Irvine, which I would rather see playing. Bubba Cunningham strikes again. This program is deceiving everything. '
On a more 'normal' selection on Sunday, Texas was perhaps the biggest point of conversation with 15 losses.
Seth Trimble #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels and RJ Davis #4 respond in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils during the semi -final of the ACC Basketball Tournament
Instead, it was the recording of North Carolina who attracted the most attention.
CBS analyst Seth Davis immediately acknowledged it when he opened his interview with Cunningham by wondering if North Carolina might have had a bit of an advantage with the advertisement as a chair. '
The Tar Heels were the last team, not based on its 1-12 record against Quad 1 teams, but on the 8-0 mark against Quad 2, along with other favorable statistics, Gill said.
“You consider all those things and the committee thought they should earn that last place,” said Gill.
Both North Carolina (vs. San Diego State) and Texas (vs. Xavier) play in the first four, who kicks off the action on Tuesday. The tournament will be in full swing on Thursday and Friday with 32 games at eight locations throughout the country.
