Board of governors member: Scandal "humiliating"

A member of the UNC board of governors said today that he was disappointed and embarrassed by the news that at least 12 North Carolina football players will be withheld from Saturday's season-opener against Louisiana State, calling it a "sad, sad day in the life of a great university."

"It's humiliating by any measure," said Brent Barringer, a Cary attorney and UNC graduate. "It's not what we're about.

"Just six years ago I was at a seminar in Chapel Hill and heard (the late) Myles Brand, then the president of the NCAA, hold up UNC-Chapel Hill as a paragon of the student-athlete model. Here we are, less than seven years later. having to disqualify 20 percent of the team not just because of NCAA agent allegations but more importantly academic allegations.

"It shows how fast things can change. It's very, very disappointing and frankly embarrassing to the point of being humiliating."

Barringer said he had the "utmost confidence" that UNC chancellor Holden Thorp would be thorough in continuing to investigate the allegations and would be strong in handling the situation.

"He's doing everything humanly possible to get to the bottom of the matter," Barringer said. "He will do the right thing for the right reasons.

"It's a huge test of his leadership as chancellor but I think he is up to the challenge. He has a lot of support and will continue to have a lot of support."

Barringer would not comment on athletics director Dick Baddour or football coach Butch Davis. In talking about the withheld players, Barringer said, "I don't think the buck stops with the players."

Barringer said outgoing UNC president Erskine Bowles sent out an email to board members Friday morning said he was "greatly saddened by what we have discovered" and that the unversity was making a cautious decision by withholding the players.

Chip Alexander