NC budget: - UNC, NC State to receive up to $5.8M annually from sports betting taxes; same as App, ECU, Charlotte - bettors can deduct losses from winnings on state tax - new tax on prediction market operators - sports betting operators tax rate to 23% (current 18%) www.wral.com/news/nccapit...

Steve Newmark, North Carolina's next athletics director, says he's optimistic about the state of UNC football. "We feel like we’re on the right trajectory," he said at ACC Spring Meetings in Amelia Island, Florida. Much more from Newmark on UNC football: www.wral.com/sports/unc-s...

Thought we @wral.bsky.social did some cool interviews with key Triangle sports figures at the ACC Spring Meetings in Florida this week. Have a few more to add, but you can find many of them here on You Tube (and hit subscribe if you don't mind): studio.youtube.com/channel/UCOP...

How did NC State find transfer RJ Keene? Credit to @PatrickJStacy. Cool story from Justin Gainey starts at 28:28 here: wral.com/22358158/ Says Keene told him: "I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'll run through a wall. I'll get every loose ball. I just want to win."

North Carolina lawmakers says they've reached a budget deal at least on spending priorities. Now they've got to pay for it. Why sports betting taxes are getting a closer look: www.wral.com/news/nccapit...

If you didn't get a Carolina Hurricanes beer skate Saturday, well, I have bad news for you. On the only thing hotter than the Hurricanes in the NHL playoffs: the beer skate, which sold out before the third period, and why there won't be more this postseason. www.wral.com/sports/carol...

Think I've written this story each of the last three years. Yes, sports betting is legal in North Carolina. No, you can't bet on Saturday's Kentucky Derby. (CC: @lukedecock.bsky.social) www.wral.com/sports/sport...

UNC officials had mapped out a proposed launch plan for its new basketball arena at Carolina North. A video. Watch parties. Pop-up exhibits. "A bold, legacy-defining choice." "A once-in-a-generation opportunity." Now everything's on hold (once again). www.wral.com/sports/north...

The Carolina Hurricanes say that the redevelopment around Lenovo Center won't impact parking for NC State's 2026 football season. Development was supposed to begin shortly after the 2025 season ended. Details: www.wral.com/news/local/n...

Trying to keep up with college football's transfer portal. We have a list of who is going (one of the biggest recruits for UNC before the 2025 season) and who is staying (Duke QB Darian Mensah): www.wral.com/sports/north...

If the House settlement and its new rules were supposed to bring financial certainty for schools, well, it hasn't happened at all ... and even the president is weighing in. www.wral.com/news/local/c...

Will Wade promised a "reckoning" and an NCAA berth in his first season at NC State. But his team is 0-4 against teams from power conferences after an OT loss to Kansas. I don’t think every game is a referendum, but we certainly got to start winning some of these." www.wral.com/sports/ncsta...

Bill Belichick's first season at UNC ended at 4-8. No bowl game. No wins vs Wake Forest, Duke or NC State. No victories against an FBS team with more than 5 wins. Offense was bad. Defense was OK at times. Penalties became a huge problem late. UNC has a lot of work to do. www.wral.com/sports/north...

Is there anything Dave Doeren likes more than beating UNC? How about beating the Tar Heels with Bill Belichick on the other sideline? On NC State's fifth straight win in this rivalry: www.wralsportsfan.com/north-caroli...

After the Giants fired their coach, Bill Belichick's name appeared on almost all the lists of potential candidates. Asked him about it today. www.wral.com/sports/north...

Bill Belichick and UNC unveiled a new military wall at the football center today on Veterans Day. “When people come back here, I want them to feel that we appreciate their contributions and recognize them.” www.wral.com/sports/north...

UNC's Seth Trimble was injured in a weight room mishap. Sounds scary. More details: www.wral.com/sports/north...

Thought Bill Belichick was particularly insightful last night on some of his team-building philosophies and reasons for why the Tar Heels struggled early and have gotten better. www.wral.com/sports/north...

Here at NC State for the beginning of the Will Wade era. "The reckoning" as NC State calls it. Short thread on some of @wral.bsky.social content since Wade's hiring. #redreckoning

NC State's Dave Doeren dismissed retirement talk yesterday, reminding everyone that he has four years left on his contract. Could lead to a sticky situation if Wolfpack leadership thinks it's time for a change. Doeren would be owed $12.5M buyout after this season. www.wral.com/sports/nc-st...

Bill Belichick and his North Carolina team are still searching for their first ACC win (and first win over a P4 team). Syracuse's defense may be just the boost the struggling UNC offense has been looking for. www.wralsportsfan.com/belichick-ta...

Pat Welter and I broke down the Virginia-UNC game, where the Tar Heels are making progress and where they go from here. YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9XX... Apple podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r...

Really good breakdown from former UNC QB Bryn Renner on UNC's failed 2-point play at the end of game vs. Virginia, including why Renner thinks UNC should have called timeout. YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNGn... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

His team has lost four of five games (and the lone win was vs. Campbell), but NC State coach Dave Doeren isn't ready to throw in the towel. Asked Doeren if he's under any pressure given spate of firings across college football: www.wral.com/sports/nc-st...

A Saudi investment in UNC? Football GM Michael Lombardi went on a fundraising visit to Saudi Arabia before the season. www.wral.com/sports/north...

Winning cures (almost) everything. Can Belichick and UNC get a victory Friday night at Cal. UNC coaches keep saying the team is making progress, but it's not showing up on the scoreboard. www.wral.com/sports/north...

UNC ranks 102nd in yards allowed per play; 100th in points allowed per game, 97th in yards allowed per game. And that's with Charlotte/Richmond included. Asked UNC DC Steve Belichick if he'd still be calling plays, still be on the field, etc.: "Yes."

UNC ranks No. 131 in total offense. Kitchens on changing who calls plays: "That's never been brought up, never been discussed."

Takeaway from UNC DC Steve Belichick and OC Freddie Kitchens press conferences: No major changes coming as far as play-calling duties, staff assignments, etc., for the 2-3 Tar Heels (who have been outscored 120-33 vs. P4 opponents).

Wild story here about how North Carolina's House speaker ended up inserting Duke's QB into a fight over children's hospital in the state. www.wral.com/news/local/n...

UNC leadership is preaching patience after the football program's slow start under Belichick. But Belichick is 73 and quick turnarounds are definitely a thing in college football. www.wral.com/sports/north...

Lawsuit accuses UNC board of violating state’s open record laws, including during Belichick hire www.wral.com/news/educati...

ACC moving to nine conference games for football and 10 P4 opponents overall (pending final approval, which seems like a formality at this point). Some teams will play 9 in '26, while others will stay at 8. In '27, all but one will play 9 while 1 plays 8. www.wral.com/sports/sport...

Speaking of lawmakers, the NC Senate approved $35M for Lenovo Center development infrastructure. The House could consider the bill today. It's part of a larger funding package that includes $65M for disaster funding related to Chantal. #ncpol www.wral.com/story/nc-law...

Lawmakers are back in Raleigh, debating and passing several budget measures. Will they give UNC and NC State sports betting money, as they've previously said. www.wral.com/sports/unc-n... #ncpol

Talked with local college football coaches about how they try to manage the stress/health issues associated with the job. Good stuff from Belichick, Doeren and Diaz. www.wral.com/sports/colle...

Source tells me: Some ACC teams will play 9 league games next year, while multiple others will play 8 due to already scheduled games. All will play at least 10 P4 games. In 2027, 16 will play 9 league games, 1 will play 8 league games. All will play at least 10 P4 games.

NC Senate is taking up budget bill to fund Chantal relief/other stuff, including $35M for Lenovo Center, today. But bill might be derailed by House-Senate fights. Background on arena infrastructure money: www.wral.com/story/nc-law...

"Go put a good team together, invest, play good competition, play good nonconference games, draw attention." On the league's new revenue math and a projection for what teams earned in the first year of the success initiative from about $8 million to $0. www.wral.com/sports/colle...

How did North Carolina decide how to distribute its $20.5 million revenue-sharing budget among four programs? AD Bubba Cunningham gives a pretty detailed explanation. And how much is the women's basketball payroll this year? www.wral.com/sports/unc-r...

Max Johnson needed five surgeries, weeks of bedrest -- including help changing his clothes -- and months of rehab to recover from a broken femur suffered in last year's opener. At one point, he thought he might lose his leg. Now the UNC QB is fighting for a starting job. www.wral.com/sports/unc-m...

A lot of coaches make vague comments about tampering. Rare that a coach names names, but check this out from NC Central football coach Trei Oliver. www.wral.com/sports/nc-ce...

Everyone, it seems, wants a bigger playoff. Everyone, it seems, has a different idea on how to select teams for the bigger playoff. ACC coaches are no different. www.wral.com/sports/colle...

Pitt's Pat Narduzzi on Belichick/UNC: "“I expect him to be in the championship game against Pitt this year. You got Bill Belichick, you better be, right?" Story: www.wral.com/sports/pitt-... (video credit: @primetimeMitch on X)

UNC hired Bill Belichick to bring more attention to the football program. He's done that in all kinds of ways. But no doubt interest is up: UNC sold out of its tickets for all six home games -- earlier than ever. www.wral.com/sports/unc-f...

NFL-style injury reports are coming to the ACC, a nod to sports gambling and the need for information which can put coaches, players and others in awkward situations. www.wral.com/sports/sport...

The ACC will fine schools for court/field storms. But the ACC's fine schedule ($50K for first, $100K for second and $200K for third) seems low. SEC went to flat $500K penalty. www.wral.com/sports/phill...

The ACC is now in its "eat what you kill" era. Gone are the days of equal revenue distribution. That and other storylines (like Belihick) from this week's #ACCKickoff. www.wral.com/sports/acc-k...

NIL collectives sprung up soon after the NCAA allowed athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness in July 2021. Four years later, are collectives being pushed out by the new College Sports Commission? Will they have to adapt? Or will they sue? www.wral.com/sports/colle...

Earlier in the week wrote about how Wade approached building a non-conference schedule. Cool of him to be so open about the process. ACC schedule (probably) gives Pack 7 Quad 1 games, average NCAA Tournament team has 12 Q1 games, so he had to find five more: www.wral.com/sports/ncsta...