Bubba Cunningham salary: How much does North Carolina AD earn with Tar Heels

North Carolina athletic director Lawrence "Bubba" R. Cunningham is on the third year of his five-year contract extension, which runs through June 30, 2027. The Tar Heels top athletics official was initially appointed on November 14, 2011 (per UNC team website) and has managed the university's athletic program to 22 national titles and 14 runner-up finishes.

According to the details of his deal (per Sportico), Cunningham receives $1,316,304 based on a salary of $814,868 plus an additional university compensation of $501,636. Aside from the annual salary, the athletic director is entitled to performance-based bonuses for three primary revenue sports.

If the Tar Heels football program wins the College Football Playoff, Cunningham could earn as much as $100,000. He could earn a minimum bonus of $35,000 if North Carolina wins the ACC Coastal Division; $50,000 for the ACC Championship, $50,000 for playing in the College Football Playoff semifinals; $75,000 for playing in the CFP national championship game and $100,000 for winning the title.

The football program has big expectations for the 2025-26 season after hiring six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick on Dec. 11, 2024.

Cunningham could likewise earn $100,000 if Hubert Davis guides the team to the national title. He'll receive $50,000 for winning the ACC Tournament; $50,000 for winning the ACC regular season championship; $50,000 for qualifying for the Sweet 16; $75,000 for making the Final Four; and $100,000 for winning the title.

He'll receive a lesser bonus in women's basketball. Cunningham can gain $35,000 if the program wins the ACC Tournament; $35,000 for the ACC regular season championship; $35,000 for making the Sweet 16; $50,000 for qualifying in the Final Four and $75,000 for winning the national title.

The athletic director is also eligible for additional bonus payouts if one of the other 25 varsity sports will excel during the season. He can receive $25,000 if one of the other programs wins a national championship and $40,000 if the Tar Heels are ranked in the top 10 of the Director’s Cup standings.

Cunningham is entitled to receive $2,919,944 if UNC decides to terminate his contract before June 30, 2027. But he'll pay $747,435 if the AD gets fired.

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Bubba Cunningham not part of voting panel that handed North Carolina's 2025 NCAA Tournament bid

NCAA tournament selection committee chairman Bubba Cunningham brushed off potential controversy in the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket by saying he was not part of the voting panel when the committee voted North Carolina as the 11 seed.

During the Selection Sunday show aired on CBS, Cunningham insisted he was out of the room when the group decided on North Carolina's inclusion. He allowed selection committee vice-chairman Keith Gill to explain the process.

"As the vice chair, I managed all the conversations that we had about North Carolina, and we had quite a few," Gill said. "Our policies require the AD of any school to recuse themselves and actually leave the room for those discussions. And they're not allowed to participate in any vote as well."

Gill, who also serves as the Sun Belt Conference commissioner, revealed North Carolina would have been the first team out if UAB won over Memphis in the AAC Tournament final on Sunday.

"Saturday night, we took our final vote. We voted in four teams in the field on Saturday night, and we had a contingency vote. The contingency vote — that was the last team in the field. And it was based on Memphis and UAB," he said.

With the setup, 11-seed North Carolina will face 11-seed San Diego State in the South Regionals First Four on Mar. 18. The winner will face 6-seed Ole Miss in the first round set on Mar. 21.