Every athletic year brings unforgettable performances, historic accomplishments and defining storylines. At North Carolina, 2025-26 was no different.
This three-part series counts down the 10 biggest moments and storylines across Carolina Athletics from the past academic year. While championships and unforgettable wins naturally dominate these conversations, transformational seasons and major institutional changes deserve recognition as well.
The countdown begins with Nos. 10 through 8.
Few players elevated their stock more over the past year than North Carolina center Henri Veesaar.
After transferring from Arizona to help address Carolina's size concerns entering the season, Veesaar quickly became one of the ACC's premier big men. His offensive versatility, rebounding and perimeter shooting completely changed UNC's frontcourt outlook.
Veesaar averaged a near double-double (17 points, 8.7 rebounds) while posting career highs across nearly every statistical category. His signature performance came during the ACC Tournament when he exploded for 28 points and 17 rebounds against Clemson.
Just as impressive was his shooting from beyond the arc. After entering the season as a career 31.7% three-point shooter, Veesaar connected on an outstanding 42.6% of his attempts for the Tar Heels, finishing as Carolina's best qualifying three-point shooter.
His development illustrates exactly what every transfer hopes to achieve: arriving with potential and leaving as an NBA Draft pick. Although his departure leaves a significant hole in UNC's frontcourt entering next season, Veesaar's emergence also becomes a valuable recruiting success story for the program moving forward.
Some of the biggest moments never happen on the playing surface.
After serving as North Carolina's athletics director since 2011, Bubba Cunningham officially began transitioning leadership responsibilities to longtime motorsports executive Steve Newmark.
The timing couldn't be more significant.
College athletics continues to evolve rapidly thanks to revenue sharing, NIL, the transfer portal and the House settlement. Rather than hiring another traditional athletics administrator, Carolina turned to Newmark, whose background as president of RFK Racing and previous experience in sports law provides expertise in marketing, sponsorships and business development.
Equally important was UNC's decision to allow Newmark to spend a full year working alongside Cunningham before officially taking over. That apprenticeship gave him firsthand experience navigating major decisions, including his prior experience helping with Bill Belichick's hiring in football, Hubert Davis' dismissal and Michael Malone's hiring as men's basketball coach.
Meanwhile, Cunningham isn't disappearing. He'll remain at Carolina as a senior advisor through 2029, helping with major projects while providing continuity during one of the most uncertain eras in college athletics.
His legacy speaks for itself.
During Cunningham's tenure, North Carolina captured dozens of national and ACC championships while maintaining all 28 varsity sports through enormous challenges, including COVID-19, conference realignment, NIL implementation and now revenue sharing.
In just her third season as head coach, Erin Matson once again guided the Tar Heels to the Final Four while adding another ACC Tournament championship to an already staggering résumé.
UNC finished 21-2 overall and 7-1 in ACC play, earning a share of the conference regular-season championship before winning its ninth consecutive ACC Tournament title.
The season ended with an overtime loss to eventual national champion Northwestern in the national semifinals, but that defeat hardly diminishes another remarkable campaign.
The Tar Heels defeated nine Top-10 opponents during the season and never lost a game in regulation.
The consistency under Matson has been almost impossible to comprehend. Through three seasons as head coach, North Carolina has reached three Final Fours, won one national championship and lost just six total games—all by a single goal. Four of those defeats came in overtime, including two double-overtime contests.
That sustained excellence mirrors the standard long established by legendary women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance. While few programs in college athletics can maintain championship-level success year after year, Carolina field hockey has done exactly that.
As the countdown continues, the next installment will feature Nos. 7 through 4, bringing the list one step closer to the defining moments that shaped North Carolina Athletics during the 2025-26 academic year.
For more on the countdown, check out the latest episode on the Locked On Tar Heels podcast:
