Additional reporting by Zach Mayo

UNC is spending more on athletics than the median average within the Atlantic Coast Conference, but athletic director Bubba Cunningham says that’s due to the commitment to giving more student-athletes the opportunity to play college sport.

“We want to provide a great experience for our student-athletes,” Cunningham says. “If you look at the finances within the ACC, we’re about in the middle. But, the one thing I’m really proud of is we have more sports than anybody, except Boston College, but we offer more scholarships. What we’re about is trying to create a broad-base program and give kids the opportunity to participate in sport. Carolina’s been very effective in doing that.”

According to data presented to the UNC Board of Trustees Wednesday, UNC spent $83 million on athletics last year. The median of the ACC was $128,576 per athlete while UNC spent $104,464 per athlete. Carolina currently has 26 men’s and women’s athletic programs.