My News & Observer stories on North Carolina in the NCAA women’s tournament
PHOTO: North Carolina’s Indya Nivara battles three Maryland players under the hoop.
Visit my homepage: TomShanahan.Report
— Click here for book review and purchase link: THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s and here for a purchase link to RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.
— Watch a three-minute video to learn about our documentary at the fundraising stage, GAME CHANGERS OF THE CENTURY, and the Investment Deck.
— Documentary synopsis: Duffy documentary snynopsis.pdf – Google Drive
— I will debate anybody, anytime, anywhere Duffy Daugherty led college football integration
— My FWAA first-place story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and segregation
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North Carolina’s women’ return to the Sweet Sixteen
By TOM SHANAHAN
March 22, 2026
CHAPEL HILL — The calendar listed this as a second-round NCAA Tournament women’s basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Carmichael Arena.
History said otherwise
This was an old-fashioned ACC-backyard brawl, and North Carolina (28-7) emerged with 74-66 victory over Maryland (24-9), an old friend until it left for the Big Ten in the 2014-15 sports season
Read the remainder of my N&O story here: UNC vs Maryland NCAA Women’s Tournament game score, recap | Raleigh News & Observer
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Why UNC-Maryland in the NCAA Women’s Tournament is truly a blast from the past
By TOM SHANAHAN
March 21, 2026
CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina and Maryland women’s basketball players are too young to appreciate that their schools were charter Atlantic Coast Conference members. That was a long time ago in a sports galaxy ruled by regional affiliations rather than the lure of TV dollars.
But the Gen-Zers received a crash-course once Maryland, which left for the Big Ten in the 2014-15 sports season, was sent to Chapel Hill for the NCAA tournament’s first- and second round games. After fifth-seeded Maryland (24-8) and fourth-seeded North Carolina (27-7) both won Friday by 30-point-plus margins, the old rivals meet with a Sweet 16 berth on the line at noon Sunday at Carmichael Arena.
Read the remainder of my N&O story: UNC-Maryland NCAA women’s matchup rekindles ACC rivalry | Raleigh News & Observer
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UNC women roll to first-round win in NCAA Tournament over Western Illinois
March 20, 2026
By TOM SHANAHAN
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s women lacked the sharpness and aesthetics that come with lofty basketball expectations and the history of Carmichael Arena, but the Tar Heels made up for with grit on defense.
Fourth-seeded North Carolina (27-7) left fans uncomfortable with its sluggish first-half shooting, but the Tar Heels’ defense ultimately carried them to an 82-51 victory over No. 13 Western Illinois (26-6) in the teams’ NCAA Tournament’s first-round game at Carmichael Arena on Friday.
Read the remainder of my story here: UNC vs Western Illinois March Madness NCAA Tournament women | Raleigh News & Observer
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North Carolina women preserve Carmichael’s proud hoop history
March 19, 2026
By TOM SHANAHAN
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina’s Nyla Harris sat at a dais for a pre-NCAA women’s basketball tournament media session answering questions, including a rapid recital of the program’s proud tradition.
“Nineteen Sweet Sixteens, seven Elite Eights, three Final Fours and one national championship.”
Read the remainder of my Friday (3-20-26) story here: UNC women’s basketball set for March Madness NCAA Tournament | Raleigh News & Observer
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I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055
I’ll put my facts on the true pioneers of college football integration versus Bear Bryant fairytales against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.
Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation and Alabama.
— Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter with two books on college football integration, “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans,” and “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” They are the most accurate accounts of college football integration in the 1950s and 1960s. They also debunk myths about the 1970 USC-Alabama game. The false narrative co-opted the stories of the true pioneers who stood up to Jim Crow and the KKK.
— Two children’s books also explain Michigan State College Football Hall of Fame coach Duffy Daugherty’s impact on integration through the Underground Railroad and the Hawaiian Pipeline: “DUFFY’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD” and “HOW DUFFY PUT HAWAII ON AMERICA’S FOOTBALL MAP.”
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PURCHASE LINKS, non-fiction books
— RAYE OF LIGHT, August Publications or on Amazon.
— THE RIGHT THING TO DO, August Publications or on Amazon.
PURCHASE LINKS, children’s books
— DUFFY’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, Order from Barnes and Noble here and Amazon here.
— HOW DUFFY PUT HAWAII ON AMERICA’S FOOTBALL MAP, coming soon on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
