West Virginia Gov Tells Bubba Cunningham To Return Bonus | Hot Mic With Hutton And Withrow

College basketball fans are slamming UNC's tournament inclusion this year as a colossal flop.

Thrust into the hot seat for this blunder is UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, who happens to be a key player on the NCAA selection committee.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 12: Bubba Cunningham speaks during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Selections on March 12, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

"North Carolina didn't earn a spot. They got in because Bubba Cunningham was leading the committee," OutKick Hot Mic's Chad Withrow blasted on Monday.

READ: UNC Athletic Director Scores Huge Bonus After Controversial NCAA Tournament Selection

UNC’s ticket to the Big Dance handed Bubba a hefty payday. If Bubba Cunningham hopes to silence accusations of favoritism toward UNC on the selection committee, maybe he should hand back that fat bonus …

The West Virginia Mountaineers, one team left fuming after being snubbed from the tournament, aren’t taking it lightly.

West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey is stepping up to hold Bubba accountable and defend his state’s basketball squad by demanding Bubba Cunningham return the hefty bonus he’s pocketing for apparently sneaking UNC into the tournament.

Governor Morrisey joined OutKick Hot Mic on Tuesday and put Bubba on blast. 

"Listen, I think it was outrageous on every level," he admitted, "but I'm going to go further right now. If you're the head of the selection committee and you're in line to get $70,000 or more, you know what you should do right now is tell every fan in America you're going to give the money back."

Will Cunningham follow through on his decision?

"You're going to show that this wasn't about money," the governor continued, "that there wasn't some corrupt bargain that was created. And I think that would be the first step of many to making this right.

"So I would ask Cunningham, give the money back. That's the least you can do in light of how all this has been handled."

Governor Morrisey’s call for transparency and fairness rings loud and clear: return the bonus and ensure all teams, including West Virginia, get a square deal.

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