UNC System board wants more oversight over schools changing conferences

By Brian Murphy, WRAL

The board that oversees public universities in North Carolina wants a chance to weigh in on potential conference affiliation changes by athletic departments at those schools.

A UNC System Board of Governors' committee will discuss Thursday a proposal to require schools to provide notice of and a financial plan for "any agreement which would result in the constituent institution transferring, leaving, or joining an athletic conference association."

The move is "designed to enhance oversight of the intercollegiate athletics program," according to the public assessment of the proposed revisions. The proposal would also require chancellors to "make available certain athletic related agreements" to the board.

There will be no vote on the changes in the Committee on University Governance at the meeting. It is a discussion-only item.

The proposal, if adopted, would "provide the president the opportunity to weigh in on the potential impacts of the agreement, including those which may impact the financial health of the intercollegiate athletics program, contract risks, and/or legal risks associated with the agreement."

Peter Hans is the president of the UNC System, which oversees 16 public schools including ACC members UNC Chapel Hill and NC State. Current FBS schools App State, East Carolina and UNC Charlotte are also in the UNC System.

Charlotte changed conferences in July, moving from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference. App State and East Carolina changed conferences in 2014.

UNC and NC State are charter members of the ACC, which formed in 1953.

But the proposal comes as the ACC faces potential defections from its top football programs, and UNC, in particular, is seen as a target for either the SEC or Big Ten, the two most powerful and profitable conferences in college athletics.

Such political involvement is not uncommon in conference realignment, dating back decades.

The University of California Regents became involved in UCLA's decision to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. The regents expressed concerns about the financial impact on Cal and required UCLA to pay millions annually to offset the revenue loss expected by the departures of UCLA and USC.

Cal has since announced plans to join the ACC in 2024, but will receive a reduced payment from the league. NC State voted to allow Cal, Stanford and SMU to join the league. UNC voted against the western expansion.

Under the proposed changes, the Board of Governors would have "an opportunity to review the agreement and financial plan with legal counsel such that it can inform the constituent institution of any legal risks which might flow from the agreement."

The Board of Governors has 24 members, appointed by the NC House and Senate to staggered four-year terms. The Republican leaders of those chambers told WRAL in August that UNC and NC State should be conference foes.

"I really think Carolina and State ought to be in the same conference," said House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland. "I really think they ought to do that. And I think you’d have a lot of resistance to seeing them split off in different conferences."

Said Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham: "There is something about the rivalries that exist that i think would be damaged if we have the larger schools within North Carolina in different conferences. I would not like to see that happen. Whether or not that’s something that would be appropriate for the legislature to step in or not, I have not really thought about it that way."