A tough football tradition in Chapel Hill
It must rankle those in Carolina blue to acknowledge that frequently struggling programs such as SMU, Baylor, Arizona, Northwestern, Syracuse, San Diego State, Wyoming and Wake Forest have more recently won conference championships than North Carolina.
Not since going 11-1 under Dick Crum in 1980 have the Tar Heels celebrated - or even shared - an ACC crown.
They’ve often come close. Crum guided the Tar Heels to a 10-2 finish in 1981, but Clemson won the national championship that year. UNC posted at least 10 wins in ‘93, ‘96 and ‘97 under Mack Brown, but the Heels couldn’t get past Florida State - which joined the ACC in ‘92.
Still, North Carolina’s drought isn’t nearly as severe as some others. Indiana and Minnesota haven’t raised a Big Ten trophy since sharing the title with Purdue in 1967. Ole Miss has been waiting since 1963 for another SEC championship. Mississippi State hasn’t won since 1941. Vanderbilt never has won it. Iowa State’s last conference championship came in 1912, when it shared the Missouri Valley title with Nebraska.
Still, 30 years is a long time to wait. But as we see in this week’s mailbag, the fans in Chapel Hill may not have to wait much longer.
