AD's Scholar-Athlete Award Renamed To Honor Cunningham
February 19, 2025 | General, Academics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham has spent his career championing and supporting student-athletes, emphasizing the best of college athletics both in the classroom and in competition.
To honor his commitment to the University and its student-athletes, Carolina's AD Scholar-Athlete Award will be re-named the Bubba Cunningham Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award. The newly named honor will be presented to 26 outstanding Tar Heel student-athletes at tonight's (February 19, 2025) men's basketball game. The award is given annually to one Tar Heel student-athlete per team who has attained an exemplary level of achievement during his or her career in both academics and athletics.
The naming is made possible by a generous gift from a Rams Club donor family that wanted to recognize Cunningham's dedication and numerous contributions to Carolina Athletics, including his commitment to broad-based programming and providing opportunities to student-athletes to gain a world-class education while competing at the highest level. The existing award has been in place for nearly 40 years and will now permanently recognize Cunningham as part of the annual recognition of scholar athletes across all of UNC's athletic teams.
"Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham has always been a strong supporter of our students and their academic pursuits,'' said Assistant Provost/Director of Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes Michelle Brown. "Naming the AD Scholar-Athlete Award for him makes the honor even more special because of his dedication and commitment to those who win it."
The donation will be applied to the recently-created Carolina Athletics Excellence Fund and Carolina Athletics Excellence Endowment – initiatives which provide unrestricted funding to answer the current and future needs of UNC student-athletes in a rapidly changing environment.
"Rams Club members believe in our mission to provide educational and athletic opportunities to Carolina student-athletes," said Rams Club Executive Director John Montgomery. "The incredibly generous family who made this honor possible knows that Bubba Cunningham deeply believes the same thing. We are excited that the family was able to honor Bubba in such a personal and thoughtful way."
The Tar Heels have won 23 national titles since Cunningham was named Carolina's Director of Athletics in November 2011. UNC has finished in the top 10 of the Learfield Directors' Cup nine times during that time span and more than 3,500 Tar Heel student-athletes have made the ACC Academic Honor roll. Carolina student-athletes have recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher for 12 straight semesters. Cunningham also has been an avid supporter of FORevHER Tar Heels, an initiative launched by The Rams Club and Carolina Athletics to celebrate and champion the women's teams at UNC through scholarships, facilities, team operational support and professional and personal development.
"It is an incredible honor to have my name attached to an award that celebrates what it is to be both a scholar and an athlete at this outstanding institution," Cunningham said. "Thank you to the generous and thoughtful donors who made this possible, to my family and colleagues who passionately support our mission and to the terrific student-athletes who work so hard every day and inspire us all."
To honor his commitment to the University and its student-athletes, Carolina's AD Scholar-Athlete Award will be re-named the Bubba Cunningham Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award. The newly named honor will be presented to 26 outstanding Tar Heel student-athletes at tonight's (February 19, 2025) men's basketball game. The award is given annually to one Tar Heel student-athlete per team who has attained an exemplary level of achievement during his or her career in both academics and athletics.
The naming is made possible by a generous gift from a Rams Club donor family that wanted to recognize Cunningham's dedication and numerous contributions to Carolina Athletics, including his commitment to broad-based programming and providing opportunities to student-athletes to gain a world-class education while competing at the highest level. The existing award has been in place for nearly 40 years and will now permanently recognize Cunningham as part of the annual recognition of scholar athletes across all of UNC's athletic teams.
"Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham has always been a strong supporter of our students and their academic pursuits,'' said Assistant Provost/Director of Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes Michelle Brown. "Naming the AD Scholar-Athlete Award for him makes the honor even more special because of his dedication and commitment to those who win it."
The donation will be applied to the recently-created Carolina Athletics Excellence Fund and Carolina Athletics Excellence Endowment – initiatives which provide unrestricted funding to answer the current and future needs of UNC student-athletes in a rapidly changing environment.
"Rams Club members believe in our mission to provide educational and athletic opportunities to Carolina student-athletes," said Rams Club Executive Director John Montgomery. "The incredibly generous family who made this honor possible knows that Bubba Cunningham deeply believes the same thing. We are excited that the family was able to honor Bubba in such a personal and thoughtful way."
The Tar Heels have won 23 national titles since Cunningham was named Carolina's Director of Athletics in November 2011. UNC has finished in the top 10 of the Learfield Directors' Cup nine times during that time span and more than 3,500 Tar Heel student-athletes have made the ACC Academic Honor roll. Carolina student-athletes have recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher for 12 straight semesters. Cunningham also has been an avid supporter of FORevHER Tar Heels, an initiative launched by The Rams Club and Carolina Athletics to celebrate and champion the women's teams at UNC through scholarships, facilities, team operational support and professional and personal development.
"It is an incredible honor to have my name attached to an award that celebrates what it is to be both a scholar and an athlete at this outstanding institution," Cunningham said. "Thank you to the generous and thoughtful donors who made this possible, to my family and colleagues who passionately support our mission and to the terrific student-athletes who work so hard every day and inspire us all."