“Violent Threats” Directed Towards NCAA From UNC Fans In Wake Of North Carolina Receiver Tez Walker Decision

Violent threats have reportedly been received by the NCAA in the wake of the Tez Walker decision. Trust me as an NC State fan I have a disdain for the NCAA. We have on more than one occasion (just in the last several year) been quite literally screwed by the NCAA. Listen I have a t-shirt with that phrase on it and the exact date and time they ruined our baseball team's chance at a national championship. I'm not over that, nor will I ever be. They also allowed UCLA to pull out of the 2021 Holiday Bowl and wouldn't credit us with the win even though we were ready to play and didn't forfeit. We've had our fair share of players denied eligibility to play as well. Also, factor in my dislike (or hatred) of UNC, and this situation involving Tez Walker has been interesting, to say the least.

The situation is interesting. If you missed it the NCAA declared Tez Walker ineligible to play the 2023 season for North Carolina after he had been at two other schools preciously. This violates the transfer waiver guidelines set forth by the organization. Walker had been enrolled and a member of the football team at both NC Central and Kent State. He didn't play at NC Central due to the pandemic, which was the main argument posed to the NCAA. They also argued for his mental health and being close to home, Walker is from Charlotte. If that was truly the case, there are several schools closer to Charlotte. (I have never and will never dispute my raging bias in any collegiate sports matters. That's what makes college athletics special- the hatred).

And listen I'm not a UNC fan, and the outrage by public officials in this situation but not in ones involving us, rubs me the wrong way. If it's wrong and worthy of the governor intervening, it should have been in every situation. Not just this one. So I don't have a lot of sympathy even though I'm sure he is a nice kid. The school has notoriously gotten away with a lot from the NCAA. And the only people who refuse to see or admit that- are UNC fans. If we are going by the rules, then rules are rules, and the rules should stick in this situation. Whether or not they should be changed (I'm open to that debate in this case and numerous others).

That being said, it's everyone's right to disagree with the decision. I did in situations involving my school. In fact, I even tried to reach out to the NCAA in the wake of the College World Series. At least at that time, that was easier said than done. But some North Carolina fans, upset with the rules being enforced against their institution, have issued what are reportedly violent threats against the NCAA. This is being reported by ESPN, who report that according to the NCAA Division 1 Board Chair "violent and possibly criminal threats" have been directed at committee members.

ESPN also reports that the organization is concerned about the public remarks made by Coach Mack Brown and athletic director Bubba Cunningham. Law enforcement has been brought in to investigate the threats. Listen, as mad as I have been at the NCAA, which could easily stand for No Clue At All (credit Dave Doren for that), I don't believe threatening them is the answer. The organization has a lot of flaws. A lot of flaws. But part of collegiate sports involves playing by their rules. Simply put, this situation violated them. But violent threats against the NCAA isn't going to change or fix anything. It just reflects poorly on you, and the school you cheer for, and could lead to legal trouble. So let's maybe avoid that from now on. Stay classy UNC fans. See you in November.

Well, we have made it folks. We have made it! College football is finally here and it is undisputably my favorite part of fall. There is nothing better, than the passion, the rivalries, and the gameday outfits. Turning on College GameDay on a Saturday morning (when it's an away game of course because you better believe I'm at every home game). The band, cheerleaders, and dance team are just some of what makes college football the best sport in my opinion.

ESPN compiled a list of all 133 FBS teams and ranked them in different tiers ahead of the season. But these aren't your typical 1-133 rankings. Because honestly, those preseasons mean nothing. It's the end of the season when I want my team to be ranked. So instead these range from tier 1 (yes, them again) to tier 20 (told you it could be worse). Other interesting tiers include "kinda, sorta, maybe" and "so hot right now".

There are 7 major North Carolina college football teams. Duke, NC State, Wake Forest, and UNC are all in the ACC.  Some with high expectations and others with basically zero expectations. Appalachian State is in the Sun Belt and East Carolina and Charlotte are both in the American Conference. There are some returning coaches and superstar players with high expectations amongst these teams. There are also teams with new coaches or who are starting over at key positions with a lot of unknowns.

So take a look at each of these major North Carolina college football teams and what ESPN thinks about their upcoming season. Each team is listed in alphabetical order (to take out my admitted bias). You can read the full tiers list of every Division 1 team via ESPN here.

Tier 11: They're frisky enough to pull a surprise. Joined by several other teams in their conference App makes the "they could be overlooked and win a game" class. And that is something the Mountaineers have been known to do. ESPN put 11 teams in this tier- Air Force, Army, Coastal Carolina, FAU, Fresno State, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Marshall, North Texas, Ohio, San Diego State, and Western Kentucky.

Tier 20: Told you it could be worse. ESPN doesn't have high hopes for this team that honestly I forgot was even D1. New coach Biff Poggi has created an interesting stir around Charlotte, but will he win on the field? Joining UNCC in this worst of the worst tier are Akron, FIU, Hawaii, Kent State, New Mexico State, Texas State, and UMASS.

Tier 6: Something good to watch before basketball season. Duke has been above average at some points in football, but they will always be a basketball school.

Tier 16: They probably won't be awful. I mean, I guess that's something to be proud of? Joining ECU in this category are Buffalo, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Old Dominion, Tulsa, Utah STate, and Wyoming.

Tier 3B: Teams that should prevent a lot of points from being scored. This tier included 6 teams with anticipated impressive defenses- NC State, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Pitt.

Tier 3A: Teams that should score a bunch of points. In contrast, these 4 teams including UNC behind Drake Maye, are expected to have high-powered offenses. Other teams in this tier are Arkansas, Ole Miss, and TCU.

Tier 6: Something good to watch before basketball season. It will be interesting to see how Wake Forest fares without quarterback Sam Hartman. Unlike Duke who is also in this tier, I also don't think of Wake as a basketball school. But ESPN but them in this tier along with Duke, Kansas, Maryland, Syracuse, and UCLA.