Sure helps to have friends in high places, eh?
We’re finally getting into March Madness, with the first four games set to tip off tomorrow before the tournament officially kicks off on Thursday. And yesterday, we got our first look at the 64 teams that would be competing for the national championship.
To say the selection committee’s decisions were controversial this year would be an understatement. West Virginia University fans were outraged that the Mountaineers were left out of the bracket, and Indiana fans also felt like they were unfairly snubbed.
But the most controversial selection was the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, which somehow managed to sneak into the tournament as an 11-seed, and will face San Diego State University tomorrow in one of the First Four games. UNC was the last team in, while WVU had long been considered a lock for the tournament and not even in the bubble conversation based on their respective records.
Based on the analytics, WVU seemed to have a far better resume than UNC. The Tar Heels were 1-12 in “Quad 1” wins, a metric that ranks wins based on opponent rankings and whether that win happened at home, at a neutral site, or on the road. Meanwhile, WVU was 6-10 in Quad 1 wins, finishing the season with a 19-13 record after losing in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.
UNC, on the other hand, finished with a 22-14 record and won two games in the ACC tournament before losing to eventual conference champion Duke.
Of course there are always going to be fanbases who are upset by the selection committee’s decisions. But this time, it seems like the entire college basketball fanbase is in agreement that UNC didn’t deserve to make the tournament over the Mountaineers. And one reason that fans are crying foul is because the selection committee is chaired by UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham.
While Cunningham can’t be in the selection committee room while the Tar Heels are being discussed, ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla pointed out that it’s a fair question whether his presence on the committee still could have an influence:
“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 much time with him. Not criticizing it but just pointing it out.”
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
And many others online were even more blunt than Fraschilla:
What a total rip off!! North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham is the chairman of the NCAA tournament committee. UNC was 1-12 vs Quad 1 teams…Investigate the NCAA @WVUhoops
— Brian Helton for WV (@BrianHeltonWV) March 16, 2025
Bubba Cunningham oversaw what was arguably the most corrupt athletic department in history at unc (and would have been justifiably fired if that school had any integrity), so I'm sure the selection in giving unc a bid was totally fair. #bbn @MarchMadnessMBB @NCAA
— Jason F. Darnall (@lexiscanis123) March 16, 2025
The inclusion of North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament despite a weak resume (1-12 in Quad 1 games) exposes a major conflict of interest in the selection process. While UNC’s Athletic Director, who chaired the committee, claims he recused himself, his very role still exerted…
— Jay Shakuri-Rad, DO, FACOS (@DrShakuriRad) March 17, 2025
Even Pat McAfee, himself a WVU alum, expressed outrage at the Mountaineers being left out of the tournament:
WVU got screwed
Of course https://t.co/WtBb86u48q
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 16, 2025
And in response to McAfee’s tweet, West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey hinted that he may consider taking legal action against the NCAA:
West Virginia and other states sued the NCAA once before and won under my watch— maybe it’s time for some more oversight yet again. This is wrong on every level! @PatMcAfeeShow https://t.co/gAw4Zf96Rc
— Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) March 17, 2025
During an appearance on Newsmax this morning, Morrisey doubled down on his criticism of the selection committee:
“The Mountaineers really got hurt. What a ridiculous call to not put them in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. I have to say that. This is outrageous. A little home cooking going on in North Carolina.”
The National Corrupt Athletic Association is continuing its shady activities against WVU. There’s clearly some home cookin’ going on in North Carolina.
An investigation may be warranted. pic.twitter.com/dsUCRxb131
— Governor Patrick Morrisey (@wvgovernor) March 17, 2025
Cunningham, the UNC Athletic Director, also has a financial incentive to get his team in the NCAA tournament: His contract awards him a bonus of one month’s salary, which comes out to about $68,000, for an appearance by the Tar Heels in March Madness.
So was there some home cooking going on, as Morrisey alleged? Who knows. But either way, UNC better prove they belong in the tournament or there are going to be even more questions about how they got there in the first place.
The post “Home Cookin’ Going On In North Carolina” – West Virginia Governor Threatens Legal Action Against The NCAA After WVU Left Out Of March Madness first appeared on Whiskey Riff.