How UNC’s Bubba Cunningham works to keep pipeline from colleges to Olympic teams strong

Bubba Cunningham never knew table tennis could be so intense.

As sweat poured down the athletes’ faces, Cunningham watched in awe. His reality soon set in – he was at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In December 2022, Cunningham was named to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee board. In addition to his seat on the board, Cunningham is also a member of the Olympic Collegiate Advisory Council.

“As the landscape of college athletics changes, we want to make sure the connectivity between Olympic and college sports remains really strong,” Cunningham said.

According to statistics released by the NCAA, there are more than 1,200 current, former and incoming student-athletes competing in the 2024 games. Collegiate athletes make up 65% of the Team USA roster and represent 251 NCAA schools.

Cunningham hopes that in the future he can increase this number even more by providing opportunities for high-level competition and training.

Prior to UNC, Cunningham served as the athletic director for Ball State University and the University of Tulsa. During his 12 years at North Carolina, Cunningham has recognized the power of the UNC name in college athletics and has worked to leverage it to create new opportunities for his athletes.

Cunningham has focused on elevating athletes through various connections and opportunities he has formed on the board and on a national scale.

“I’m delighted to be a part of it and hope that I can bring something to the Olympics, as well as to the University of North Carolina,” Cunningham said. “I’m trying to continue to improve the brand and make these connections across the board.”

Since arriving in Paris, Cunningham has communicated with the 14 Tar Heels competing in the Olympics via a WhatsApp group. Despite not seeing them in person yet, he has continued to check in with them during their events and plans to attend the competitions later in the week.

“To see those student athletes here, competing in the Olympics on a national stage is really a lot of fun,” Cunningham said. “It reinforces the importance of the Olympic sports at Carolina and across the country.”

During his next few years with the board, Cunningham plans to shift his focus to the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles will join London and Paris and become the third city in the world to host the games three times. Before the 2028 Games, Cunningham will collaborate with the committee to generate revenue and boost interest in order to showcase athletes on the highest stage.

“It’s great for our country, Cunningham said. “But it really is great for the world to present the United States to the rest of the world.”

Maya Waid is a student with UNC Media Hub, a program with the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, reporting from the Summer Olympics in Paris.