It would be difficult enough, one imagines, to muster up enthusiasm in the midst of a 46-game winning streak that goes back to August of 2018. Then add in a global pandemic that has social isolation at an all-time high and motivation at an all-time low. Players would be forgiven if they spent their days on “Tiger King” instead of stick skills. But Erin Matson doesn’t see it that way.
April 5 was a momentous day for UNC sports fans as the North Carolina men’s basketball team won its third national championship in school history.
Carolina Fever is a group that attends UNC sporting events to try and earn points for a coveted UNC men's basketball ticket. But in a world with no sports for the foreseeable future, they are trying to find ways to keep students engaged.
"Since I stepped on campus in August, it’s been an absolute pleasure," Chris Gray said. "The guys on the team are great, and we’re all so close, and I think that’s what makes it so hard right now; going home and not playing right now and just being away from the team because everyone’s just so close like that."
With COVID-19 bringing spring and winter competitions to an early end, we took an earlier-than-expected stab at handing out some of North Carolina's end of season athletic awards.
University of North Carolina's athletic director Bubba Cunningham was named to the NCAA DI Men's Basketball Committee on Thursday. He will begin his five-year tenure this coming September.
Two weeks ago, Leah Church dug an old mini hoop out of her basement, hung it on a door in her upstairs bonus room and started shooting. An hour later, the UNC women’s basketball player had a “backwards quarantine edition” trick shot video that — like many of other her other feats — made its rounds on Twitter and Instagram.
Here are three monumental UNC football wins from recent memory to rewatch and help get you through quarantine.
Backpacks stuffed with books, using water jugs as dumbbells and Zoom calls may not be the first images that come to mind when thinking of a UNC football player’s weight lifting regimen, but North Carolina strength and conditioning coach Brian Hess has had to be creative during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The remainder of all spring and winter sports seasons were canceled earlier this month due to the spread of COVID-19. Now, schools including North Carolina will have the option to grant its seniors another chance at competition.
It’s tough to compare athletes and teams from different eras. For example, it's difficult to compare LeBron James’ success to Michael Jordan's and even Kareem Adbul-Jabbar's because they played against different types of competition. The same could go to say for UNC’s basketball national championships. Their six titles that are recognized by the NCAA span across 60 years of basketball history.
UNC had one of its worst seasons in recent memory this past year, but now it's time to take a look forward to see why next year's team should be more promising.
Coming off of one of its best victories of the season, the North Carolina women's lacrosse season was hit with the news that its short season would be canceled, along with all other ACC sports due to the coronavirus.
Beth Miller might not be a household name outside of the UNC athletics department, but the long-time administrator was a vital part of the rise of women's athletics in Chapel Hill, as well as one of the few female administrators working for the Tar Heels. As the University of North Carolina's first Senior Woman Administrator in the athletics department, Miller juggled being head volleyball coach and the department's business administrator before moving into full time administration, before overseeing all Olympic sports for nearly 20 years.
“I feel like this could be a motivating factor for us, I think we just need to keep in mind that the hard work didn’t just disappear,” Cole said. “It’s not like we’re having to start over next year, it’s just going to be a kind of different transition.”
Why do these results matter? They matter because they got me thinking about the nature of fandom, and how polls and statistics work, and how much originality matters — things that probably aren't worth thinking about when asking questions about basketball on Twitter (yet here we are).
"UNC is my home, it's where I want to be, and I have loved being here for every second of it," Makenna Jones said. "If I could get more time here, I would take it in an absolute heartbeat."
While UNC managed to win just 14 games this season and finished by tying for the worst record in the ACC, North Carolina's men's basketball boasts five commits in its 2020 recruiting class that may give fans hope for next season.
Whether it's facing competition for a starting spot, securing a role close to home or seeking opportunities with new teams, catch up on what these four former Tar Heels are up to during the NFL offseason.
While the concept of eligibility relief seems to satisfy all parties, a closer look at the inner workings of the Division I scholarship system reveals a litany of questions.
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