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When the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill hired Bill Belichick as head coach in December, the school was declaring a new era for football. The team’s $40 million budget is expected to increase by at least $8 million.
But even before it ramped up its football ambitions, the university had already been shoring up its athletics budget by transferring millions of dollars from other institutional funds to support varsity sports. Such transfer payments are the norm at many universities, but not in Chapel Hill.
UNC-CH provided $21.4 million to support athletics last year between direct payments, services, debt payments, and rental fees, according to its annual financial report to the NCAA, The Assembly and Axios found.
School officials say they know it’s a risk to ratchet up spending on football, but they hope the investment will pay off, including for non-revenue-generating sports and the rest of the university.
UNC’s Risky Belichick Math
UNC-Chapel Hill transferred $21 million from other funds to the athletic department last year–and that was before it agreed to spend millions of dollars more on coach Bill Belichick and his football staff.
“If you go all over the world…you’ll see people wearing our colors and our logo, and they’re doing that mostly because of our sports teams, not because of our political science department,” UNC-CH Chancellor Lee Roberts said recently.
Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.
Sunblocked
In recent years, Shibumi co-founder Dane Barnes has managed to convince North Carolina beaches to lift rules to allow his inescapable shades on all the state’s shores.
Across the state line, however, local officials have been less welcoming. The shades have been largely barred from beaches under rules that disallow tents and larger shades in the high season. Myrtle Beach City Council considered but shot down a one-summer trial period for wind-driven shade devices like the N.C.-grown Shibumi last November.
Now Horry County, which includes Myrtle Beach and other beach towns that encompass the Grand Strand, is expected to vote this month on whether to allow a one-year trial. For The Assembly, Johanna F. Still assesses Shibumi’s chances of making it over the state line.
Can Shibumi Make Waves South of the Border?
So far, Myrtle Beach has maintained its ban on the ubiquitous sunshades. But now Horry County, S.C. is considering a trial period allowing them this summer.
Introducing Our Man In Washington
As we recently announced, we have a new partnership with NOTUS, or News of the United States, to bring more North Carolina-related coverage to you from Washington, D.C.
Through the partnership, we’ll be working with their editors and an early-career reporter to develop and pursue stories.
Today we wanted to introduce that reporter: Calen Razor. Born and raised in Connecticut, he graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism and public policy. He has worked as a production assistant at News 12 Connecticut and as an editorial intern at Men’s Health.
We asked Calen a few questions about covering our state so far.
What’s your favorite N.C. story you’ve covered so far, and why?
The final months of Mark Robinson’s campaign for governor. The first story NOTUS published was about how winning North Carolina was going to be crucial to winning nationally. And Robinson’s scandal-plagued gubernatorial campaign became this immutable factor for other races on the ballot. Democrats highlighted his scandals as much as possible. Republicans, including Donald Trump, largely abandoned Robinson and withheld late endorsements for him.
One piece in particular really highlighted how “in its final days, the Robinson campaign has put on rose-colored glasses and muted the haters.” It was very interesting to report on the surprisingly high morale of a campaign which had all the signs of shaky grounds.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about NC since you started covering our delegation?
North Carolina always seems to be at the center of power. Trump tapped Michael Whatley, who was NCGOP chair to run the Republican National Committee. Rep. Richard Hudson is off to a second term as National Republican Congressional Committee chair. Former Gov. Roy Cooper was one of a few potential VP candidates for Kamala Harris and seems to be on a shortlist of Dems who could run in 2028. Rep. Virginia Foxx is now chair of the powerful House Rules Committee. Trump picked former Rep. Dan Bishop for the number 2 post at the White House Office of Management and Budget. The list could go on…
What are your favorite types of stories or topics to tackle?
I’m fascinated by the intersections between race, culture and politics. Some interesting shifts in demographics happened in the 2024 election and I’m hoping to follow how they develop. That’s anything from Republicans’ gains with both Black and Latino voters to whether disillusioned Arab voters will stick around in the Democratic Party.
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What We’re Reading
Ag Bag: The U.S. Agriculture Secretary said this week that tens of billions allocated for Hurricane Helene relief should finally start flowing to farmers later this month, per AP.
PFAS and Furious: WRAL reports that a plan advanced this week would direct North Carolina companies to test for PFAS pollution and submit voluntary reduction plans, but not actually impose limits or penalties.
Don’t Harsh My Mellow: State lawmakers are looking to crack down on psychoactive hemp products, Axios reports, which have boomed in recent years.
Our Recent Stories
The Senate Democrats’ New Boss
State Sen. Sydney Batch ousted one of N.C.’s most venerated leaders. Can she lead Democrats back to relevance?
The Moral of the Story
The state Supreme Court is weighing the definition of “good moral character.” The decision could upend occupational licensing.
Can Lake Mattamuskeet Be Saved?
The largest natural lake in the state and an important national refuge for migrating birds is facing an ecological catastrophe.
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