Raleigh, N.C. – By almost a 2:1 margin, UNC fans like the work Butch Davis did as coach of the football team, but by a smaller edge, they are also glad he was let go. 41% say they approve of Davis’ tenure on the job, with 21% disapproving, but 36% agree with the school firing him, while 27% disagree with the move.
Three quarters of Tar Heel boosters are withholding their opinions on new interim head coach and previous defensive coordinator Everett Withers. Of those who have made up their minds, 23% see him favorably and only 3% unfavorably. That is 30-4 among the 26% of North Carolinian UNC fans who say they are African-American. Withers will be the first black head football coach at the school.
Carolina aficionados are also generally fond of Chancellor Holden Thorp’s performance, 31-19, but dislike his handling of the football program, 20-35. However, 32% think he should remain at the head of the school, while 23% think he should resign or be dismissed. By a 31-17 spread, fans think well of Athletic Director Dick Baddour, who announced a few days after Davis was fired that he would resign.
Fans do seem to be somewhat concerned about the school’s academic reputation. 54% think the brouhaha over alleged NCAA violations has had at least some impact in that department. 23% say it has had a severe negative impact, and 31% say only a moderate one. But 43% think there has been no spillover effect.
Despite all this, fans are saying they will not let the controversy affect their loyalty to the team, and that in the long run, the program should be better off. 68% plan to follow the football team just as much as they have in the past, while 18% say they will root for the squad even more. Only 13% plan to taper off their viewership. More than twice as many (34%) say that in five years, the football program will be stronger than it is today as those who say it will be weaker (16%).
PPP surveyed 317 UNC fans in North Carolina from August 4th to 7th. The margin of error for the survey is +/-5.5%. This poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. PPP surveys are conducted through automated telephone interviews. PPP is a Democratic polling company, but polling expert Nate Silver of the New York Times found that its surveys in 2010 actually exhibited a slight bias toward Republican candidates.
Topline results are below. Full results, including crosstabs, can be found here.
Q1 Are you a fan of UNC sports or not?
UNC fan…………………………………………………100%
Not a UNC fan ………………………………………… 0%
Q2 Do you agree or disagree with the decision to
fire Butch Davis as football coach?
Agree …………………………………………………….. 36%
Disagree ………………………………………………… 27%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 37%
Q3 Do you approve or disapprove of the job Butch
Davis did as football coach?
Approve …………………………………………………. 41%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 21%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 39%
Q4 Do you approve or disapprove of the overall job
Holden Thorp is doing as Chancellor?
Approve …………………………………………………. 31%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 19%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 50%
Q5 Do you approve or disapprove of Holden
Thorp’s handling of the football team?
Approve …………………………………………………. 20%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 35%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 45%
Q6 Do you think that Holden Thorp should
continue to serve as Chancellor, or do you
think he should resign or be fired?
Should continue to serve as Chancellor………. 32%
Should resign or be fired…………………………… 23%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 45%
Q7 Do you approve or disapprove of the job Dick
Baddour has done during his time as Athletic
Director?
Approve …………………………………………………. 31%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 17%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 52%
Q8 Will you be more or less supportive of UNC
football this year than you have been in past
seasons, or will there be no change?
More supportive ………………………………………. 18%
Less supportive……………………………………….. 13%
There will be no change……………………………. 68%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 1%
Q9 Five years from now, do you think the UNC
football program will be stronger, weaker, or
about the same as it is today?
Stronger …………………………………………………. 34%
Weaker ………………………………………………….. 16%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 50%
Q10 Do you think the issues surrounding the
football team have had a severe negative
impact on the university’s academic reputation,
a moderate impact, or not much of an impact at
all?
Severe negative impact ……………………………. 23%
Moderate impact ……………………………………… 31%
Not much of an impact at all ……………………… 43%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 4%
Q11 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of new football coach Everett Withers?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 23%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 3%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 74%
Q12 Did you attend college at UNC?
Yes………………………………………………………… 18%
No …………………………………………………………. 82%
Q13 Would you describe yourself as a hardcore,
moderate, or casual fan of UNC?
Hardcore………………………………………………… 22%
Moderate………………………………………………… 40%
Casual……………………………………………………. 37%
Q14 Would you describe yourself as very liberal,
somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat
conservative, or very conservative?
Very liberal ……………………………………………… 8%
Somewhat liberal …………………………………….. 12%
Moderate………………………………………………… 36%
Somewhat conservative……………………………. 27%
Very conservative ……………………………………. 16%
Q15 If you are a woman, press 1. If a man, press 2.
Woman ………………………………………………….. 49%
Man……………………………………………………….. 51%
Q16 If you are a Democrat, press 1. If a Republican,
press 2. If you are an independent or identify
with another party, press 3.
Democrat ……………………………………………….. 52%
Republican……………………………………………… 31%
Independent/Other…………………………………… 18%
Q17 If you are white, press 1. If African-American,
press 2. If other, press 3.
White …………………………………………………….. 70%
African-American …………………………………….. 26%
Other……………………………………………………… 4%
Q18 If you are 18 to 29 years old, press 1. If 30 to
45, press 2. If 46 to 65, press 3. If you are
older than 65, press 4.
18 to 29………………………………………………….. 10%
30 to 45………………………………………………….. 27%
46 to 65………………………………………………….. 43%
Older than 65………………………………………….. 19%
Q19
252………………………………………………………… 10%
336………………………………………………………… 21%
704………………………………………………………… 19%
828………………………………………………………… 14%
910………………………………………………………… 15%
919………………………………………………………… 21%
