Don’t bet on North Carolina going to the Big Ten. There are other factors against that becoming a reality and they are outside the of the school's control.
Although I am not a graduate of UCONN, I am a fan who lived for a number of years just across the state line in Westfield, MA. I was born in Greensboro, got my undergraduate and one graduate degree at North Carolina State and now live back in the Carolinas.
I am sure everyone heard about the penalties that were given to UNC after the NCAA investigation. The investigation was the basis for firing Butch Davis and his staff as well as “resignation” of Dick Baddour, the athletic director. After the NCAA came out with the penalties UNC tried to paint a pretty picture of their getting the problems behind them and moving forward. But unfortunately for them what the NCAA investigated was just the tip of a very big iceberg that in many ways is not only sinking the athletic department but making the flagship which is UNC-CH take on a lot of water. The Raleigh News & Observer has been relentless in digging into what is no less than a web of lies, fraud and deceit that goes well past the athletic department an into the general administration of the school to the point where Chancellor Holden Thorp recently “resigned” when it was found that his “personal investigation” did not reveal that the school’s African American Studies curriculum was full of courses which did not require class attendance and that, tutors were writing papers for athletes while some athletes who tried to write papers were plagiarizing, often cutting and pasting from Wikipedia sites on the Internet. Furthermore, some professors and administrators were ignoring this academic fraud when told by persons what was going on. When the News & Observer was given the academic transcripts for Julius Peppers not only was it revealed that he should have been ineligible to play but this fraud had been going on for over a decade and probably back as far as the early 90’s. Outgoing Chancellor Thorp asked former Governor Jim Martin to undertake an “independent” investigation into the situation. The general consensus was he would continue to whitewash, but something happened last week that will make that now impossible. As is always the case when covering up a misdeed someone from inside comes forward. Here that someone is Mary Willingham. Take a look at this http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/22/2500288/north-carolina-tolerated-academic.html
This combined with another story about improprieties involving former UNC quarterback and school fundraiser Chris Kupec, and the mother of former UNC basketball star Tyler Hansbourgh have not only state legislators but the State Bureau of Investigation looking into what is going on over in Chapel Hill. http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/20/2497597/orange-da-unc-should-seek-outside.html
Now what does all of this have to do with UNC possibly going to the Big Ten? North Carolina is two states. The eastern and western portions of the state are republican while the middle, along the I-85 corridor from Raleigh-Durham to Charlotte is democratic. For the first time in ages republicans control the state house, senate and governorship. N.C. State alumni strongholds are in the east and west and UNC grads are found mainly along the I-85 corridor. North Carolina is very proud of its sixteen member greater university and the state legislature will not allow Chapel Hill to make what looks like a money grab for the athletic department until all the problems are uncovered and taken care of. Furthermore, the trustees are still hunting for a new chancellor. Second, and just as important, the republican held state legislature and new governor will not allow the UNC athletic department to realize a financial windfall while N.C. State is shut out. Remember, the schools are only 22 miles apart and the rivalry is deep within the culture of North Carolina. Now there is another player in the mix and that is East Carolina. ECU is one of the largest schools in the state and has an alumni and fan base that is large and very vocal. The politicians down east are not going to turn their backs on their constituents when it comes to this matter. Finally, remember back to 2004. The University of Virginia refused to vote for the addition of Boston College and Miami into the ACC until Virginia Tech was allowed in the conference. That stipulation did not come from UVA, it came right from the state legislature. No different here. The legislature is not going to short change N.C. State and maybe not ECU.
All of the posters on message boards, as well as those who write columns for newspapers across the country, have yet to factor in these related “local” matters which, although include the athletic department, go much deeper and are more serious than they realize. I just cannot see the UNC athletic department being allowed to gain from their fraud, lies and general cover up. Across the state they are now being referred to as UNC…….and rightly so.
As a N.C. State graduate and UCONN fan, I would welcome UCONN in the conference as the institution is not only a great school it fits all the criteria that the ACC has long looked for in its membership!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to provide a bit of additional insight on what is going on down here.
Although I am not a graduate of UCONN, I am a fan who lived for a number of years just across the state line in Westfield, MA. I was born in Greensboro, got my undergraduate and one graduate degree at North Carolina State and now live back in the Carolinas.
I am sure everyone heard about the penalties that were given to UNC after the NCAA investigation. The investigation was the basis for firing Butch Davis and his staff as well as “resignation” of Dick Baddour, the athletic director. After the NCAA came out with the penalties UNC tried to paint a pretty picture of their getting the problems behind them and moving forward. But unfortunately for them what the NCAA investigated was just the tip of a very big iceberg that in many ways is not only sinking the athletic department but making the flagship which is UNC-CH take on a lot of water. The Raleigh News & Observer has been relentless in digging into what is no less than a web of lies, fraud and deceit that goes well past the athletic department an into the general administration of the school to the point where Chancellor Holden Thorp recently “resigned” when it was found that his “personal investigation” did not reveal that the school’s African American Studies curriculum was full of courses which did not require class attendance and that, tutors were writing papers for athletes while some athletes who tried to write papers were plagiarizing, often cutting and pasting from Wikipedia sites on the Internet. Furthermore, some professors and administrators were ignoring this academic fraud when told by persons what was going on. When the News & Observer was given the academic transcripts for Julius Peppers not only was it revealed that he should have been ineligible to play but this fraud had been going on for over a decade and probably back as far as the early 90’s. Outgoing Chancellor Thorp asked former Governor Jim Martin to undertake an “independent” investigation into the situation. The general consensus was he would continue to whitewash, but something happened last week that will make that now impossible. As is always the case when covering up a misdeed someone from inside comes forward. Here that someone is Mary Willingham. Take a look at this http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/22/2500288/north-carolina-tolerated-academic.html
This combined with another story about improprieties involving former UNC quarterback and school fundraiser Chris Kupec, and the mother of former UNC basketball star Tyler Hansbourgh have not only state legislators but the State Bureau of Investigation looking into what is going on over in Chapel Hill. http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/20/2497597/orange-da-unc-should-seek-outside.html
Now what does all of this have to do with UNC possibly going to the Big Ten? North Carolina is two states. The eastern and western portions of the state are republican while the middle, along the I-85 corridor from Raleigh-Durham to Charlotte is democratic. For the first time in ages republicans control the state house, senate and governorship. N.C. State alumni strongholds are in the east and west and UNC grads are found mainly along the I-85 corridor. North Carolina is very proud of its sixteen member greater university and the state legislature will not allow Chapel Hill to make what looks like a money grab for the athletic department until all the problems are uncovered and taken care of. Furthermore, the trustees are still hunting for a new chancellor. Second, and just as important, the republican held state legislature and new governor will not allow the UNC athletic department to realize a financial windfall while N.C. State is shut out. Remember, the schools are only 22 miles apart and the rivalry is deep within the culture of North Carolina. Now there is another player in the mix and that is East Carolina. ECU is one of the largest schools in the state and has an alumni and fan base that is large and very vocal. The politicians down east are not going to turn their backs on their constituents when it comes to this matter. Finally, remember back to 2004. The University of Virginia refused to vote for the addition of Boston College and Miami into the ACC until Virginia Tech was allowed in the conference. That stipulation did not come from UVA, it came right from the state legislature. No different here. The legislature is not going to short change N.C. State and maybe not ECU.
All of the posters on message boards, as well as those who write columns for newspapers across the country, have yet to factor in these related “local” matters which, although include the athletic department, go much deeper and are more serious than they realize. I just cannot see the UNC athletic department being allowed to gain from their fraud, lies and general cover up. Across the state they are now being referred to as UNC…….and rightly so.
As a N.C. State graduate and UCONN fan, I would welcome UCONN in the conference as the institution is not only a great school it fits all the criteria that the ACC has long looked for in its membership!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to provide a bit of additional insight on what is going on down here.
