The Athletic Just Ranked UNC’s Best Teams of the 2000s — And Fans Are Fuming Over the Snubs and Surprises
Chapel Hill is known for its passion, its pride, and above all, its sports legacy. So when The Athletic dropped its highly anticipated ranking of the University of North Carolina’s best athletic teams of the 2000s, it wasn’t long before the Tar Heel faithful lit up social media with outrage, disbelief, and a fair bit of statistical pushback.
The controversy centers around The Athletic’s placement of UNC’s 2009 men’s basketball team—widely considered one of the most dominant in college hoops history—at No. 3 on the list. Yes, third.
“It’s laughable,” said former UNC point guard Ty Lawson, who starred on the 2009 squad that bulldozed through the NCAA Tournament, winning every game by double digits. “We were unbeatable that year. Nobody came close. Third? That’s disrespectful.”
The top spot instead went to the 2012 UNC women’s soccer team led by Crystal Dunn and Kealia Ohai, a squad that finished 24–1–1 and won the program’s 21st national championship. While undeniably dominant, many fans felt the selection overlooked the sheer cultural and competitive impact of the 2009 hoops team.
“They’re legendary, no doubt,” said longtime Tar Heel fan Michelle Drummond of Cary, N.C. “But the 2009 basketball team had four future NBA players, a Hall of Fame coach, and steamrolled the tournament like a varsity team playing JV.”
Coming in at No. 2 was the 2016 UNC field hockey team that went undefeated before losing a heartbreaker in the NCAA Final. While respected, the team’s placement ahead of a national champion basketball team struck many as a baffling editorial choice.
Even more divisive were the omissions. Nowhere in the top five appeared the 2006 UNC women’s basketball team, which went 33–4 and reached the Final Four with stars like Ivory Latta and Erlana Larkins. The 2016–17 men’s basketball redemption team, which avenged its title-game loss the previous year, was ranked just No. 7.
“I get that it’s not just about banners,” tweeted UNC historian and alum Jackson Reaves. “But when you leave off iconic squads that defined Carolina sports culture, you’ve lost the plot.”
The Athletic explained their rankings as based on a combination of win-loss record, dominance over opponents, national standing, and “program legacy impact.” Still, the subjectivity of “impact” has become a lightning rod.
Head Coach Roy Williams, who retired in 2021, weighed in with his usual humility but couldn’t hide his bemusement. “I always say lists are made to be argued with,” he said. “But if you’re talking about the best team I ever coached, 2009 would be my first answer and my last.”
Within hours of the article’s release, “2009 UNC” was trending on X (formerly Twitter), and a Change.org petition titled “Fix The Athletic’s UNC Rankings” had already garnered over 10,000 signatures by Sunday evening.
Whether The Athletic will respond remains to be seen. But if there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s this: in Chapel Hill, greatness isn’t just about statistics. It’s about moments, memories, and the unmistakable blue heat of a fanbase that never forgets.
And for many, the 2009 Tar Heels were—are—and always will be, the gold standard.
