“No state-appropriated or tuition dollars are being used for these expenses.”
Enough already of this rationalizing footnote from UNC as it released its latest accounting of legal and public relations costs stemming from the athletics/academic scandal. Where the bookkeepers say these millions of dollars come from is far less important than the realization that there are countless ways to spend these valuable resources.
How about student scholarships, support for young faculty, and upgrades of facilities that are inaccessible to individuals with even minimal disabilities?
There are many needs beyond the walls of the university. These dollars could help to strengthen established partnerships between the university and communities in North Carolina and around the world. I encourage WCHL listeners to generate their own lists.
The reported millions do not begin to reveal the inestimable hours and energy spent by university leaders slogging through the quagmire of this scandal. How could those resources be better allocated?
The latest posting on the Carolina Commitment website explains the costs by these firms “to help address the past academic irregularities.”
Irregularities?
We don’t have irregularities. What we have is a failure of UNC and virtually every other university dazed by the culture of “Big Time Sports” to acknowledge the conflicts of interest between universities as centers of research, scholarship and creativity and the much narrower goal of the sports enterprise to win games and championships. If UNC were informed by an understanding of that fundamental conflict and motivated to address it, it is likely that there would not be exorbitant, wasteful expenditures, causing us to wonder about “state-appropriated or tuition dollars.”
— Lew Margolis
Related Stories
‹

UNC Sports: Field Hockey, Men's Soccer, Volleyball All Earn ACC WinsIt was a successful Friday evening for multiple UNC sports teams, as the field hockey, men’s soccer and volleyball squads each earned big wins in ACC action. In field hockey, the Tar Heels returned home to Karen Shelton Stadium for the first time in almost a month and celebrated the occasion with a 4-0 win […]

UNC Men's Basketball vs. Indiana (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off TimeUNC will continue preseason action Sunday when it travels to Indianapolis to face Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. If you aren’t making the trip with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen on the radio can do so at 97.9 FM and […]

'Coach, We've Got a Dawg': Xavier Lewis' Unlikely Journey from Unheralded Recruit to UNC StarXavier Lewis has established himself as one of UNC's best players in 2026, but his journey to stardom came from humble beginnings.

UNC Women's Soccer Wins at Clemson to Remain Unbeaten in ACC PlayA Hope Munson goal in the 37th minute was all No. 1 UNC needed to earn a 1-0 win at Clemson Thursday night. It was Carolina’s first match in 13 days after its fixture at Florida State last week was postponed due to Hurricane Isaias. Found a way 👏#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/x7jvDOWjOy — UNC Women's […]

UNC Football at Duke (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Kickoff TimeUNC will make the short trip over to Durham Saturday afternoon to face Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Tar Heels are looking to win the Victory Bell back from the Blue Devils after dropping the last two meetings. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: […]

100 Years of Kenan Stadium: 'Give Us That Victory Bell Back!'Voice of the Tar Heels Jones Angell looks back on the UNC-Duke game at Kenan Stadium in 2019, one of the best in the history of the rivalry.

UNC Football Ranked No. 1?! 78 Years Ago, It Really Happened.During the summer, I stumbled across a graphic on social media that caught my eye. It showed every program to have been ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press College Football poll, which debuted in 1936. Since then, there have been more than 1,200 polls, featuring 45 different teams in the top spot. Timeline of […]

UNC Men's Basketball Picked 5th in 2026-27 ACC Preseason PollUNC was picked fifth in the ACC men’s basketball preseason poll Monday afternoon. Two-time reigning conference champion Duke comes in at No. 1, taking home 45 of a possible 48 first-place votes. No. 2 Virginia, No. 3 Louisville and No. 4 Miami each followed with one first-place vote each. Below UNC, No. 6 Clemson, No. […]

UNC Women's Basketball Picked 3rd in ACC; Kate Harpring Receives Preseason HonorUNC was picked to finish third in the ACC in the league’s preseason poll Tuesday. The Tar Heels received one of 76 first-place votes. Duke, which is coming off consecutive conference titles, sits at No. 1 in the preseason poll with 49 first-place votes. No. 2 Louisville (22 votes) is next, followed by UNC and […]

100 Years of Kenan Stadium: 'A Tsunami of Scoring and Defense'Chapelboro's very own Kenny Dike remembers a stunning UNC blowout win against No. 5 Florida State in Kenan Stadium in 2001.
›