Hundreds of angry West Virginia University fans fired off angry, profane and even threatening emails to the University of North Carolina’s athletics director in the days following Selection Sunday, when the Mountaineers were left out of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in favor of the Tar Heels.

North Carolina Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham was also the chairman of the selection committee — and the selection of a flawed UNC team over bubble teams such as West Virginia and Indiana unlocked a fury. 

Cunningham earned a bonus with North Carolina’s berth in the tournament, and the Tar Heels’ inclusion led to allegations of impropriety against Cunningham. 

UNC beat San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four before losing in the first round.The emails, viewed by WRAL News, poured into Cunningham’s UNC account after the tournament field was announced in the evening of March 16. They called him a “scumbag,” a “hypocrite,” “trash” and much worse. An email from West Virginia’s attorney general to the NCAA — forwarded to Cunningham — said the public demanded answers.

At least two messages included direct death threats. Others mentioned family members by name.

Through a spokesperson, Cunningham declined to comment.

One gruesome messenger wrote, in part, in his early morning email: “I genuinely [expletive] hope your entire family gets cancer and your grandkids become drug addicts and you have to watch them wither away to nothing.” The message contained multiple expletives.

Cunningham’s email address was used to sign up for several moving companies, which followed up with offers to provide price quotes.

Cunningham sent some of the most threatening messages to the NCAA. Other UNC athletic department officials offered advice on how to remove some identifying information from the web and said they would work with the police department to monitor online threats.

“You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself for your actions tonight. The fact that an AD is the HEAD of a committee should be illegal. You are a fraud and you rigged the system so your garbage school could get in. Disgusting,” read one email that arrived at 1:54 a.m. on March 17.

Another email said: “Instead of doing the right thing, you picked to line your pockets. You owe Mountaineer nation an apology. I can’t wait for the day I see you in public again, quivering, and apologizing to the fans.”

WRAL obtained 685 pages of correspondence to Cunningham through a public records request of correspondence in the hours after UNC’s selection.

As the committee chairman, Cunningham had to answer questions about the selection process after the field was set, further cementing him as the face of whatever decision fans were unhappy about.

Cunningham said at the time that he was not present when North Carolina was discussed, consistent with selection committee rules. But those who wrote their missives didn’t seem to care.

“Just admit you lied and undeservedly let UNC into the tournament,” one emailer wrote.

Most commentary leading up the the selection focused on UNC’s 1-12 record against top tier teams. The fans who wrote to Cunningham focused on that figure as well. Others seized on comments about West Virginia’s injured star Tucker DeVries.

“You stole from kids who devoted their lives and earned the right to a last chance,” said one message that arrived at 4:38 a.m. “They’ll literally carry that weight and dream about not having that opportunity for the rest of their lives and you get to continue to sleep well at 62. Shame on you. Shame on you Bubba. You’re better than this.”

West Virginia fans were not the only ones upset. 

West Virginia’s governor and attorney general threatened an investigation. John B. McCuskey, the attorney general, sent a letter to the NCAA about West Virginia’s snub. 

In the letter, forwarded to Cunningham by Tim Buckley, the NCAA’s senior vice president for external affairs, McCuskey asks about the committee’s criteria and notes that “[a]thletic directors with teams under active consideration (and on the bubble) also participate as members of the selection committee. There is a public perception, as noted by Fran Frischilla, that these kinds of decisions are driven by personalities instead of data.”

McCuskey added: “Although we’re not suggesting anything untoward, we think the public deserves answers. How can you assure us that you have created a selection system that’s free from bias, conflicts of interest, or other improper personal influence? What specific measures does the association use to reach that end?”

Louisville and Michigan fans also sent angry emails to Cunningham. Louisville fans were upset about being a No. 8 seed, despite being ranked No. 13 in the nation. Michigan fans were disappointed about being a No. 5 seed after winning the Big Ten Tournament.

The subject of one email: “You failed America.”

One included a cartoon drawing of a man with his middle finger extended. Many suggested Cunningham should be ashamed or resign. Some called for an investigation.

“I know that this email won’t do anything except help me sleep a little better knowing I got this injustice off my chest,” another email reads. “I want to first start by saying how unjust it is that you and your committee has gifted YOUR school a spot in this years March madness tournament,” an emailer wrote, including a photo of the scoreboard at the end of West Virginia’s 30-10 win over North Carolina from the 2023 Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Another started: “How can a professional educator stoop so low as to promote his own undeserving team above a very deserving team?”

Yet another: “How does it feel to be the most corrupt person in sports? And possibly the most hated man in America. I give it 30 days befor [sic] you have to resign and never be heard from again. See ya [expletive].”

Not every message sought to tear Cunningham down. He heard from friends and supporters, too, who had seen the withering criticism. 

Cunningham has been athletics director at UNC since 2011. A collegiate golfer at Notre Dame, Cunnigham has also served as the athletics director at Ball State (2002-05) and Tulsa (2005-11). He is a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Board of Governors.

One text message encouraged Cunningham to “hang in there. Critics always cry loudest and are given an unregulated soap box through social media. But they don’t speak for those who know you as a man of honor. And that group, while seemingly quieter, is vastly larger than the uninformed snipers with too much idle time. Count me in the army of support!”

NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan dealt with similar treatment during his stint as chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. When undefeated Florida State was left out of the four-team field, fans attacked him.

“These committee chairs are going to be the least wanted jobs in sports,” a television executive wrote Cunningham.

Don Curtis of Curtis Media wrote Cunningham on Tuesday morning. 

“I am so sorry you are catching hell,” he wrote. “I know how the process works, and I know you are a man of high ethics.”

Showing he had not lost his sense of humor, Cunningham replied: “Sure hope we win tonight. That will settle down quite a bit. Doesn’t look like I’ll be vacationing anytime soon in West Virginia.”

Source: wral.com