Another record-breaking year for Carolina.

In the wake of the NCAA investigation into UNC academics coming to an end, alumni and friends of the university have set new records for giving money to their school. Those two things might be unrelated, but I don’t think so. At a time when unbridled support for Carolina was necessary, individual, corporate and foundational donors stepped up big time on both sides of the plate.

UNC development under new director David Routh topped last year’s record $447 million by nearly 50 million to $495 million, thanks to nearly 60,000 donors and 12 who gave more than $5 million each for $139 million of the total. There were gifts of $12 million by a married couple and $7.5 million by an anonymous donor. Money was earmarked for Lineberger Cancer Center, Carolina Performing Arts, to starting community service scholarships and fellowships; to Arts and Sciences to create distinguished professorships in the communications and history departments.

Not be outdone, the Rams Club under John Montgomery and his staff was part of the record-setting fiscal 2015-16, raising the most money in its 38-year history, financing scholarships for more than 450 athletes and capital improvements to the tune of $62 million, topping its previous best year by more than 10 million bucks. Rams Club members provided $15 million for capital projects, or facilities, and 17 million for team support, which increases the budgets of individual programs.

Now you may say all this is just a coincidence, but I say it is Carolina alumni and supporters and fans reacting to five years of bad publicity stemming from the NCAA invasion that began back in 2010. For critics and foes with an ax to grind who predicted the demise of UNC athletics as well as damaging verdicts from the various accreditation bureaus, these numbers must be sobering news.

Yes, Lew Margolis, UNC’s mission is on the education and research side more than it is fielding winning teams. But whoever said a high profile athletic department is the front porch of its university was right in this case, as the support for UNC started there and went on inside the house that is now much stronger for such amazing generosity.

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