Inside Carolina: A UNC athletics podcast

Inside Carolina football analyst Jason Staples joins Tommy Ashley  to discuss the North Carolina's defensive back room, highlighting key players and their roles in the room as well as predictions from Staples on how the players in the room will perform this season. Jaiden Patterson, Greg Smith and Kaleb Cost are among the Tar Heels recognized in Inside Carolina's breakdown. Staples also takes a lo...

Inside Carolina basketball analyst Rob Harrington joins Tommy Ashley to discuss North Carolina basketball's 2026 freshman class. Harrington breaks down each of the four newcomers - Maximo Adams, Sayon Keita, Malloy Smith and Kevin Thomas - and offers his thoughts on what each player brings to the floor. Harrington includes his thoughts on potential playing time, fit and possible production for eac...

Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley for a discussion of the proposed Diamond Cup - a multi-team college basketball event that would feature the blue bloods of the sport at neutral locations playing a round-robin type schedule. Barnes highlights the financial factor that goes into creating new events and the need for games and events that generate revenue for schools in t...

As North Carolina heads into year two of the Bill Belichick era, college football continues to shift and change across the board. In the race to compete and keep up with the elites of the sport, roster building and roster spending continues to rise as does the desire to expand the college football playoff. The SEC and BigTen hold the strings, but the ACC and Big 12 stand to benefit from an expande...

North Carolina field hockey coach Erin Matson has seen the mountain top - she's stood on that apex five times in the eight years she's called Chapel Hill home, four times as a player and once as coach. She is one of, if not the, most decorated athletes to walk the brick pathways of the Carolina campus and has imparted that playing and drive on her players as the head coach. Inside Carolina's Tommy...

Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes and Tommy Ashley discuss the North Carolina basketball team's roster, focusing on Michael Malone's first year and the potential of the pieces currently in place. Ashley and Barnes highlight the versatility of those pieces and discuss the potential style of play Carolina fans could see in the coming season. The IC duo takes in what additional pieces are n...

The Diamond Heels took the final regular season series over NC State - Carolina's ninth straight ACC series win - and finished second in the conference standings, behind Georgia Tech. As the ACC Tournament preparation begins, head coach Scott Forbes spoke to Inside Carolina's Tommy Ashley for their weekly conversation. Forbes discusses the successes from the regular season, the development and usa...

Inside Carolina's senior reporter Greg Barnes and Tommy Ashley discuss North Carolina baseball and how Scott Forbes and his program have continued their run of success as the new era has taken over college athletics. Barnes and Ashley highlight past Tar Heel success on the diamond with Barnes describing memories of covering the College World Series in Omaha. The IC duo takes a look at the ACC Tour...

New North Carolina head coach Michael Malone has added more coaches to his staff on the Tar Heel bench, added a new player from the incoming freshman class, and has begun doling out offers to current 2027 prospects. While things aren't done and dusted just yet, an observer can begin to see a type of preferred skill set and build that may become a template for the program's new direction. Inside Ca...

New North Carolina basketball head coach MIchael Malone continues to round out his coaching staff with former Tar Heels, this new addition being Brandon Robinson. Robinson brings experience from the summer circuits and the G-League as well as both his playing time in Chapel Hill and his graduate assistant time under Roy Williams. Inside Carolina's senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to...

Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss the latest developments in North Carolina's basketball coaching staff, highlighting the addition of Brian Tibaldi. Tibaldi brings NBA experience and player development skills and vast experience in the video side of scouting talent and coaching players to their potential. Barnes and Ashley discuss the progress Michael Malone...

The Inside Carolina Coast to Coast crew discusses Kevin Thomas and his commitment to Michael Malone and North Carolina basketball. Thomas, a 6-7 small forward from Sagemont Prep in Florida is ranked 94th in the class of 2026 and was previously committed to LSU. Sherrell McMillan and Sean Moran break down Thomas's game and the athleticism he will bring to the Tar Heels as well as the potential for...

Former Tar Heel national champion Deon Thompson is coming home to North Carolina. Thompson, a member of the 2009 championship team, is set to become a graduate assistant for Michael Malone and the UNC coaching staff and will bring experience from a long playing career overseas and another tie to the Carolina Family as the program transitions into the Malone era. Inside Carolina senior reporter Gre...

Inside Carolina basketball analyst Rob Harrington joins Tommy Ashley to discuss the returners for Carolina Basketball, Isaiah Denis, Jaydon Young, and Jarin Stevenson and the importance of having some semblance of a core year over year within a college program, especially in a coaching transition.  Denis, a versatile defender, is seen as a potential asset despite limited playing time last year. Yo...

Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss a draft from the Presidential College Sports Reform Committee, aiming to stabilize the NCAA amidst changes from NIL, Rev Share and other seismic shifts in the college landscape over the past several years. The proposal creates a two-year task force exempt from antitrust laws to set rules, including eligibility and enforcemen...

Inside Carolina's Greg Barnes and Jason Staples join Tommy Ashley to talk all things North Carolina football as Bill Belichick's team heads into the summer program in preparation for the 2026 season. The IC crew will look back at spring practice and answer viewer questions from the Tar Pit message board and the live chat, plus introduce the annual scouting report schedule from Staples. Staples hig...

As North Carolina's 2026-27 roster continues to take shape, Inside Carolina's senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss how Carolina's potential lineup remains a bit in flux due to the latest NBA draft talk around transfer signee Matt Able. How do draft projections affect fan angst given the deadlines and timelines that are built to benefit the professional leagues versus the colle...

NCAA Tournament expansion remains a hot topic across the college basketball landscape as the bar for entry into March Madness has dropped significantly with the addition of more teams. While that debate rages on, North Carolina's regular season slate for '26-27 remains a work in progress as the current lineup of opponents has only one potential marquee matchup. Inside Carolina's Greg Barnes joins...

A recent article by Phil Steele highlight North Carolina's 2026 football schedule as the toughest in the nation based on the opponents 2025 results. Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss Steele's findings and the fact that upcoming season undoubtedly ramps up the competition level compared to last season that produced a 4-8 record for the Tar Heels. TCU (in Irel...

Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss the recent proposals by the American Football Coaches Association regarding the timeline for the college football season and the structure within the regular season and the playoffs. Barnes and Ashley debate the feasibility of expanding the playoff to 16 or 32 teams, considering financial benefits and the impact on academics...

North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes spends a lot of time crediting his coaching staff for the Diamond Heel success on the baseball field. Whether it's in postgame press conferences or weekly interviews with Inside Carolina, Forbes is quick to heap praise and credit on the men that he has assembled to help lead his Tar Heels. This week, assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Scott Jacks...

Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss the ACC's - and member institutions - financial gain with the expansion of the NCAA Tournament in addition to the league's success based initiatives that have helped slow the widening money gap with the big two conferences. Barnes breaks down the success and viewership incentive models that have gone into effect for a league...

North Carolina's quarterback room passed the look test during spring practice and with the addition of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, there is hope - and expectation - that the most important position on the football field will be a positive for the Tar Heels in 2026.  Petrino's past success on this side of the ball is unquestioned and the portal and recruiting work done over the past 18 mon...

With the financial investment into head coaches with professional experience in both football and basketball, Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss the evolving expectations for North Carolina's athletic programs in the new era of college athletics. Barnes notes that while eight wins were once a reasonable expectation for football, those significant financial in...

Inside Carolina senior reporter Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss the recent news that the NCAA Tournament will likely expand to include 76 teams going forward for what is considered an attempt to provide more access to the crown jewel of the NCAA - March Madness.   Barnes and Ashley highlight the money aspect of the move, the dilution of the product and discuss the possible reasoning for...