Inside Carolina Podcast

The Atlantic Coast Conference ruled with an iron first over it’s member institutions for nearly ten years after then-commissioner orchestrated the ‘ironclad’ Grant of Rights deal that virtually locked in each school.  This spring’s settlement - or rather nearly full concession -  brought by Clemson has monumentally shifted the conference’s grip, the league giving away perhaps the one thing that held the league together in this era of movement.  Inside Carolina’s Greg Barnes joins host Tommy Ashley on this edition of Next Level to break down the background, the concession and what it all means for UNC. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nike, Adidas, and Puma all had AAU tournament activity over the past week. Inside Carolina these events and has all of the info about who the UNC staff was tracking in gyms around the country. Sherrell McMillan and Sean Moran spent some time in the bleachers and will share what they learned with Joey Powell, plus some talk about what new roster members are growing into their roles as the summer clicks along. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Talented and potentially a top tier room in the conference - if it all clicks for the talent - North Carolina's wide receivers look to shine under Bill Belichick's coaching staff. Inside Carolina's Tommy Ashley is joined by expert Jason Staples and break down the room, issue superlatives and discuss how this group could impress in 2025. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside Carolina football recruiting expert Don Callahan joins host Tommy Ashley for an extensive rundown of North Carolina's most recent football commitments from late June until today's show. Callahan breaks down each player and what went down for the Tar Heels and Bill Belichick's staff to secure a commitment from each high school standout. Callahan also discusses what's left for the Heels in the 2026 class as well as answers viewer questions. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While summer may keep campus quiet in Chapel Hill, the "Shoe Circuit" went full-throttle this past week as AAU tournaments began in earnest. Coaches from around the country are now back on the road for this live period to evaluate the best of the best in the class of '26 and beyond. North Carolina had its staff out and about watching offered and targeted players, and IC will continue its coverage this coming week. Sherrell McMillan and Sean Moran join Joey Powell to look back at the staff's movements last week, and to discuss more of the coming season for Carolina hoops.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last season, North Carolina's tight end room was three-deep, versatile and proven. Heading into 2025, this room is quite the opposite, with lightly used Jake Johnson heading the room, joined by three transfers - Jordan Owens, Conner Cox and Shamar Easter. Inside Carolina's Jason Staples joins host Tommy Ashley to discuss the room superlatives and what to expect when the season opens on Labor Day. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carolina fans remember Greg Ellis as an anchor of Mack Brown's best defenses in Chapel Hill in the mid-to-late nineties. Ellis went on to a 12-year All-Pro career in the NFL, and has been even busier since he hung up the cleats. Last month, the National Football Foundation announced that Ellis was on the ballot for the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame. He joined Joey Powell to talk ball, being successful in the League, molding young minds, and how he's helping combat the social stigma around mental health issues.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gone is one of the nation’s best in Omarion Hampton, but as Inside Carolina’s Jason Staples explains, North Carolina’s stable of running backs has the tools and talent to be productive and efficient in Bill Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill. Staples discusses the superlatives of the room with Davion Gause taking an ‘alpha’ role and Michigan transfer Benjamin Hall joining Caleb Hood and Charleston French pushing for snaps as well. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Quality depth and enough puzzle pieces highlight North Carolina’s offensive line room as Jason Staples joins host Tommy Ashley to break down the returners and newcomers at perhaps the most important position for success this season in Chapel Hill. Superlatives highlight the discussion and Staples offers his take on every member of the room with some expectations across the board. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

North Carolina’s move into the new world order took another big step forward on July 1st with the announcement that Steve Newmark would succeed Bubba Cunningham as Athletic Director in the summer of 2026. Newmark comes to Chapel Hill with an extensive background in NASCAR and the financial side of athletics and will spend the next year on campus learning the basics of administration on a college campus and digging into basketball and football revenue before assuming AD position. Inside Carolina’s Greg Barnes joins Tommy Ashley to discuss Newmark, Cunningham’s legacy and the impact this move will have on Carolina’s continued push to the forefront of the changing landscape of collegiate athletics. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With North Carolina’s summer camp sessions complete, coach Bill Robinson -- author of Carolina Basketball School --- joins host Tommy Ashley again to now recap this year’s sessions. Robinson discusses why things are different under head coach Hubert Davis, recounts stories from the past two weeks in Chapel Hill, and details what was learned after seeing the 2025-26 Tar Heel players in action. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While the headlines may not be heavy, the lack of above-the-fold news has created a bit of entertainment around the UNC Basketball program in the form of summer intrigue. Sherrell McMillan and Sean Moran join Joey Powell to dive into the newly-released non-conference schedule, recap the two UNC players (Drake Powell and RJ Davis) who have seen their NBA careers begin, and share some thoughts on the summer camp scrimmages thus far. The show also takes some popular questions from the live audience that have been bubbling up of late.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside Carolina football recruiting expert Don Callahan joins host Tommy Ashley to provide insight on the recent run of commitments for Bill Belichick and his North Carolina staff. From Burgess to Woods, Callahan dishes on the June commits as well as the massive scoop posted on IC’s Tar Pit Premium message board and more on this edition. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summers in Chapel Hill are legendary and Carolina Basketball’s famed camps are a big part of the lore.  In his book, Carolina Basketball School - History, Stories and Drills, Bill Robinson highlights the key figures responsible for the two weeks in June that many Tar Heel fans hold dear and tells the tales that live in the history of the Carolina Family.  Robinson joins host Tommy Ashley to share the ‘why’ and ‘how’ this book came to fruition and a few of the stories within its pages.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bill Belichick’s pledge to build the North Carolina football program from the inside out starts with the defensive tackles and this position room is one of the thinnest, if not the thinnest, in the Kenan Football Center. Inside Carolina’s Jason Staples joins host Tommy Ashley to discuss the superlatives in the room and the three newest editions - CJ Mims, Isaiah Johnson and D’Antre Robinson. Staples also goes in-depth on the defensive tackle position and how Belichick and staff have moved pieces around in the past to field a successful unit despite any personnel shortcomings. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a few years now, the Coast to Coast podcast has held Fathers' Day up as a watermark by which fans should safely be able to evaluate the roster, as it usually falls after the comings and goings of players have subsided. On this episode of the show, the guys run down a pretty wide array of happenings around Carolina basketball. While none of these developments are necessarily headline-worthy, they are likely of interest and consequence for the coming season and good for a June discussion. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside Carolina's expert football analyst Jason Staples joins host Tommy Ashley to hand out superlatives to members of North Carolina's edge rusher room. The alpha, the breakout, the time to show and prove and much more from a Tar Heel position group that has two young returner in Tyler Thompson and Jaybron Harvey joined by four transfer portal pick ups. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When North Carolina hired Bill Belichick last December, it signaled a shift that the powers that be on campus were serious about winning big at nearly any costs. After Hubert Davis and his Tar Heel team struggled last season, missing a big and necessary piece, those powers pushed the chips in on hoops. The results? A 14 million dollar roster for the '25-'26 North Carolina Tar Heels with an eye on a return to elite company on the court. Inside Carolina's Greg Barnes joins host Tommy Ashley to discuss the rationale and reasons behind the move and the new expectations that come with it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

College athletics took another step into the new world with the final approval of House vs. NCAA in a culmination of years of court battles over athlete compensation and 'amateurism'. Inside Carolina's Greg Barnes has been on the forefront of the coverage of House and other landmark court decisions and joins host Tommy Ashley for a discussion of how this approval shapes the new era of college athletics. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At noon on Friday, North Carolina's quest to return college baseball's mecca begins in Boshamer Stadium as the Tar Heels host Arizona in a three-game series - winner to the College World Series. Inside Carolina's Grace Nugent and Tommy Ashley spoke with head coach Scott Forbes about the juggling act of preparing for the series while preparing for the future - the NCAA transfer portal is active and rolling in the middle of the most high stakes time of year for coaches and teams. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices