The UNC baseball program has announced a $9 million gift from an anonymous donor made through The Rams Club. The gift will go toward the program’s operating endowment, and the donor will match gifts from other fans and supporters to grow the endowment to $25 million.
“We are incredibly humbled and grateful for this incredible gift,” head coach Scott Forbes said in a statement. “This investment will provide our players the resources necessary to maximize their potential and for our program to remain nationally competitive. With your support, we will reach the full match and continue positioning our program for sustained success.”
Each of UNC’s 28 varsity sports has its own endowment, the annual yield from which is made available to each head coach to meet “specific needs that are not covered in the regular operating budget,” according to a release from the school. UNC said the baseball program’s endowment creates a “permanent revenue stream.”
UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham called the gift “an outstanding investment in the future of our baseball program.”
“We appreciate the generosity and creativity of the donors who want to support the championship success of the Diamond Heels,” he said. “These funds will make a great impact on the experience of Tar Heel student-athletes, and we are hopeful that this extraordinary gift will inspire others.”
Forbes and the Diamond Heels are coming off a 2025 season which saw UNC win its 27th ACC championship and reach the NCAA Super Regionals. In Forbes’ five seasons in charge, UNC has reached the NCAA Tournament five times, the Super Regionals three times, the College World Series in 2024 and won two ACC Tournament titles.
UNC is ranked No. 11 in the D1Baseball.com preseason poll for 2026. The Diamond Heels will open their 2026 season next month when they host Indiana in the first series of the season. First pitch on Opening Day at Boshamer Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13. For a full look at the team’s 2026 schedule, click here.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Joe Bray
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
Roberts Installed as UNC Chancellor During University Day Ceremony Amid Protests
Lee Roberts formally became UNC’s 13th permanent chancellor on Friday, being sworn into the role as part of University Day events in Memorial Hall.
UNC’s Memorial Hall Undergoing Roof Replacement; Portion of Hanes Lot Closed
A project to replace the roof of Memorial Hall on the UNC campus began last week and is expected to run through at least October of this year. The project encompasses a comprehensive replacement of the entire 20,000-square-foot roof footprint. During the replacement, the Memorial Hall loading dock and a portion of the Hanes Parking […]
Chancellor Folt Requests Initiative to Bring More Art to Chapel Hill
You can expect to see a lot more art around Chapel Hill soon, but not just in Ackland Art Museum and Memorial Hall. A new initiative is aiming to put art all over town. Art Everywhere kicked off in April with an on campus event that included painting, performances, and one of Art Everywhere’s first […]
Piano tunes are something you might hear if you venture to UNC’s campus any time soon. There are 10 of the instruments around campus, nine painted by students. And they’re there for a reason. “Today is the perfect kind of day to prove that even if you don’t interact with arts every day—even if you’re a […]
GoTriangle Touts Light Rail Project Ahead of Funding Request Deadline
As the municipal vote on whether to approve the Durham-Orange Corridor draws near, the Orange County Board of Commissioners heard from GoTriangle employees last week on the merits of light rail. Patrick McDonough, the transit authority’s manager of planning and development, told board members that projected regional growth rates reinforce the need for the project. […]
Upcoming TEDxUNC Conference Centers on Human Body
The next TEDx conference will take place this Saturday at UNC. The event is similar to a TED Talk you might have seen online, speakers will give talks on variety of topics, sharing their experiences and innovative ideas. This year’s conference will center on the theme of the human body. Ashita Gona is one of […]
UNC Looking For Artists For Campus Buildings
The FedEx Global Education Center at UNC is accepting artists’ proposals to display their work during the current academic year. The center hosts up to four exhibitions each year, including paintings, photography, sculptures and textiles. Proposals will be assessed based on the extent to which work reflects complex contemporary international issues. Proposals are accepted on […]
Resolve To Experience Orange County In 2016!
There’s a lot to do right here in Orange County, y’all.
UNC Professor Remembers Robin Williams
A retired professor of computer science at UNC, Stephen Weiss, got the chance of a lifetime in 1998, to sit an watch the magic of Robin Williams film Patch Adams.
UNC Baseball Announces $9 Million Gift from Anonymous Donor
The UNC baseball program has announced a $9 million gift from an anonymous donor made through The Rams Club. The gift will go toward the program’s operating endowment, and the donor will match gifts from other fans and supporters to grow the endowment to $25 million. “We are incredibly humbled and grateful for this incredible […]
›