College Football: Fans Erupt After North Carolina Loses $500,000 Buy Game to James Madison – Week 4

In a week of epic college football matchups, an early slate tilt between the North Carolina Tar Heels and James Madison Dukes stole the headlines in Week 4. An undefeated North Carolina squad, led by notional championship head coach Mack Brown, hosted Sun Belt representative James Madison. Favored by double-digits and an over-under in the low 40s, the Dukes’ boat raced the Tar Heels 70-50. For a lack of better words, UNC was humiliated on their home turf, allowing a ludicrous 611 yards of offense.

North Carolina paid JMU $500,000 for the non-conference college football contest but will now enter next week’s ACC opener against Duke with a blemish on their record. Many college football fans put North Carolina on blast for the brutal showing, especially with the team paying to put James Madison on their 2024 schedule.

College Football Fans Take Aim at UNC for Non-Conference Home Loss

According to Front Office Sports:

UNC paid a $500,000 guarantee to host JMU today. The Dukes just beat the Tar Heels, 70-50.

In what was likely expected to be an easy home win against one of the newest FBS schools, the North Carolina Tar Heels hosted the James Madison Dukes on Saturday. However, JMU did not skip a beat after transitioning to the Sun Belt Conference in 2022, entering this weekend with a 21-5 record in FBS play. With last year’s leadman Curt Cignetti operating as the head coach at Indiana this season, the Dukes turned to former Holy Cross frontman Bob Chesney. In his third game with the Sun Belt squad, Chesney and company walked into Chapel Hill and dropped 70 on UNC in a win.

North Carolina becomes the latest premier school to lose a buy game, with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish famously losing to the North Illinois Huskies earlier this season. Similar to that outcome, many college football fans put the Tar Heels on blast for losing a game in which they paid their opponent nearly $1 million:

JMU went to Chapel Hill and committed a $500,000 robbery

— Mannie. (@PremierVee) September 21, 2024

JMU’s athletic director after getting $500k for this game pic.twitter.com/n9MBjQZuao

— BetRivers Sportsbook (@BetRivers) September 21, 2024

Putting up 50 in an L is absolutely wild

— VCs Congratulating Themselves 👏👏👏 (@VCBrags) September 21, 2024

I'm really sorry this is happening to the fine folks of UNC pic.twitter.com/GufMC5ZEhV

— Wake Up SEC (@wakeupsec) September 21, 2024

Mack Brown has the controller I give my 6 year old.

Without batteries

They both THINK they’re doing something though

— Blake Diamond (@Bdiamond42) September 21, 2024

Give North Carolina credit. It’s very hard to score 50 and lose by 3 scores.

— Johnny Montalbano (@MontalbanoNY) September 21, 2024

I thought this was college basketball for a second

— itismewilson (@dengwilson14) September 22, 2024

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