North Carolina's NCAA Tournament bid leads to social media backlash: 'How did this even happen?'

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Perhaps the biggest shock after the 2025 NCAA Tournament men’s basketball bracket was revealed on Sunday was seeing the North Carolina Tar Heels as one of the "First Four" teams that will play San Diego State to determine who will be the No. 11 in the South Region. 

There’s a large contingent that isn’t too happy with that decision by the selection committee. 

Social media erupted with backlash after the Tar Heels were named as the last team of 68 to make it in, and there’s some backing to that vitriol. 

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North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis reacts in the second half at Spectrum Center. (Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)

UNC, despite the program’s historic pedigree, was just 1-12 in Quadrant 1 games, which the selection committee determines as a game against a team that is ranked in the top 30 of the NET (the NCAA’s evaluation tool) at home, against a team ranked 1-50 on a neutral court, and 1-75 in away contests. 

Bubba Cunningham, the Tar Heels athletic director who also happens to be the chair of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, explained the process that went into UNC making it in. 

"Obviously, I’m going to defer that to [vice committee chair] Keith [Gill]," Cunningham responded after being asked about UNC getting in and how it wasn’t a conflict of interest. "But all the policies and procedures were followed. And Keith can address exactly how North Carolina was discussed because I was not in the room for any of that."

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Gill responded, "Our policies require the AD of any