North Carolina's NCAA Tournament Inclusion Draws Criticism and Defense

The Tar Heels' selection as a play-in team raised questions about fairness, despite assurances of adherence to NCAA protocols.

North Carolina was named as the final at-large team in the NCAA Tournament, earning a spot in the First Four to face San Diego State.
Social media backlash erupted, with critics pointing to UNC's poor 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games and questioning their inclusion over other bubble teams.
The NCAA Selection Committee explained that UNC's spot was contingent on Memphis defeating UAB in the AAC championship, which opened the final berth.
UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, who chairs the Selection Committee, recused himself from discussions and votes regarding his school to avoid conflicts of interest.
Supporters of UNC's inclusion highlighted their strong recent performance and competitive losses against top-ranked teams as justification for their selection.