North Carolina's major investment in men's basketball proves the pressure to win-now

This feels like a make-or-break season for the UNC basketball program, especially its current coaching staff.
North Carolina v Wake Forest
North Carolina v Wake Forest | Grant Halverson/GettyImages

Greg Barnes of Inside Carolina shared some major news regarding the UNC basketball program's offseason, specfically the drastic measures the university has taken to ensure success on the court this fall.

In case you didn't get a chance to read Barnes' article, look no further than the post below:

The major item line of discussion was just how much the university has spent on its men's basketball roster for the 2025-2026 season. According to Barnes, North Carolina has tripled what it spent on last year's roster, reportedly divvying out over $14 million dollars in financial commitments to members of this year's team.

Holy smokes!

"Multiple sources have confirmed that UNC has surpassed the $14 million mark in its financial commitment to the 2025-26 roster, approximately triple what was spent on the roster a year ago. Men’s basketball executive director and general manager Jim Tanner’s $850,000 salary represents another bullet point in confirming the university’s support of its prized program."

Obviously, this news confirms that North Carolina has finally started to keep up with the big dogs in terms of spending on roster construction. What it also tells us is the program's desperate need to win now, as this season has the feel of being a make or break one for Hubert Davis and his staff.

Let's face it: you don't spend over $14 million on a roster to be a mediocre/borderline NCAA Tournament team.

This year's squad boast plenty of new faces: 9 to be exact. Six of those additions came via the transfer portal while the other trio, headlined by five-star prospect Caleb Wilson, are making their way to Chapel Hill as incoming freshman.

The pressure is on for the UNC basketball program, as this new-look roster (one that's a very expensive unit) must succeed right away. If the Tar Heels struggle, the noise about the future of Davis at the helm will only get louder, as this season has the feel of being one of the most important seasons for the UNC basketball program in quite some time.

Let's just hope that the investments made pay off in the long run.