Scott Forbes

[TarHeelColby10]

Just coming here after the basketball game, and last football season to remind everyone that he’s the best “revenue” coach on campus. Guy continues to elevate and recruit talent and keep the program at the highest level of the sport. No nonsense, play the best guys no matter what kinda guy. Thankful.

 

[uncbornbred]

Just coming here after the basketball game, and last football season to remind everyone that he’s the best “revenue” coach on campus. Guy continues to elevate and recruit talent and keep the program at the highest level of the sport. No nonsense, play the best guys no matter what kinda guy. Thankful.

100%

GO HEELS

 

[Rockheel1650]

You are correct about Forbes but don’t think baseball is a revenue sport unless you mean negative revenue

 

[TarHeelColby10]

You are correct about Forbes but don’t think baseball is a revenue sport unless you mean negative revenue

It’s generally classified across the country as a “revenue” sport. Big 3, whatever you want to call it. It doesn’t take away from my point.

 

[NMB HEEL]

If the Heels ever end up in the SEC I can promise you UNC ⚾️ will be a revenue sport. UNC is very lucky to have someone like Coach Forbes. He has been very loyal, and has had multiple chances to go elsewhere.

 

[DuckFook]

 

[mpaer]

You are correct about Forbes but don’t think baseball is a revenue sport unless you mean negative revenue

They lose a few million a year
I am okay with that though-great representatives of the University

 

[UNC1789]

They lose a few million a year
I am okay with that though-great representatives of the University

A few million? Wow, I’m okay with it too and I’m a huge UNC baseball fan but that’s more than I would have expected.

 

[TommyAshley]

They lose a few million a year
I am okay with that though-great representatives of the University

Define a few

 

[sweetcaroline1874]

I couldn’t agree with you more! We are very lucky to have Coach Forbes!!!

 

[Heelium1]

I couldn’t agree with you more! We are very lucky to have Coach Forbes!!!

As do I.

No comment on "a few million."

 

[Imatarheel79]

The UNC baseball program operates at a net cost (a financial loss) for the university's athletic department, as its expenses exceed its revenue.
According to recent financial reports:

• For the 2023-24 fiscal year, the UNC baseball program had a net loss of approximately $2.08 million.
• For the 2022-23 fiscal year, the program operated at a net loss of approximately $1.8 million.

Edited to say: But our family still loves it (actually now more that football) and will continue to support it.

 

[HeelYeah2012]

If we get to the SEC in the next few years, the revenue generated by the baseball program will get a lot better. Just thinking about all those SEC teams coming to the Bosh week in and week out gets me excited.

For now, yes, baseball loses money but let’s focus on the spirit of the OP’s post:

Scott Forbes is a treasure and I’m so glad he’s a Tar Heel.

 

[GregBarnes]

The UNC baseball program operates at a net cost (a financial loss) for the university's athletic department, as its expenses exceed its revenue.
According to recent financial reports:

• For the 2023-24 fiscal year, the UNC baseball program had a net loss of approximately $2.08 million.
• For the 2022-23 fiscal year, the program operated at a net loss of approximately $1.8 million.

Edited to say: But our family still loves it (actually now more that football) and will continue to support it.

Probably best to separate these topics into different threads, but I do feel like it is necessary to note that the budget deficit in baseball has existed for as long as I can remember and certainly long before Scott took over for Mike Fox.

In 2023-24, UNC reported $2.8 million in revenue and $4.8 million in expenses. The primary revenue driver is ticket sales and that came in at $1.1 million, which doesn't even cover the coaching staff salaries. Donations/contributions help a bunch.

 

[thegreatestdonut]

I know college baseball has been growing over the past few years. What are the chances it eventually becomes a revenue sport at UNC?

 

[oldwell]

I know college baseball has been growing over the past few years. What are the chances it eventually becomes a revenue sport at UNC?

I wouldn’t expect it anytime soon. Only a handful of programs turn a profit in college baseball and even they don’t profit consistently. LSU had a loss of close to 2 million in 2024.

Carolina baseball has a bit of a weird following where a lot of fans don’t really appear until the postseason.

Also, there’s a lot of competition in the Triangle with the Durham Bulls and NC State/Duke, so it’s difficult to get the casual fans in consistently.

 

[TarHeelColby10]

I wouldn’t expect it anytime soon. Only a handful of programs turn a profit in college baseball and even they don’t profit consistently. LSU had a loss of close to 2 million in 2024.

Carolina baseball has a bit of a weird following where a lot of fans don’t really appear until the postseason.

Also, there’s a lot of competition in the Triangle with the Durham Bulls and NC State/Duke, so it’s difficult to get the casual fans in consistently.

A lot of fans are also from Johnston/Harnett/southern wake which Campbell is a draw there. And then the Wilmington and MB areas has UNCW/coastal as a draw as well. Not to mention the multitude of minor league teams in our state.

 

[oldwell]

A lot of fans are also from Johnston/Harnett/southern wake which Campbell is a draw there. And then the Wilmington and MB areas has UNCW/coastal as a draw as well. Not to mention the multitude of minor league teams in our state.

Yeah TV money would be the real game changer, but I think we’re still pretty far off from that for the regular season.

Also, think not enough alumni care about baseball. Out of my friend group from college, there’s probably 3 that care about baseball, and they don’t live close enough to travel consistently.

 

[TarHeelColby10]

Yeah TV money would be the real game changer, but I think we’re still pretty far off from that for the regular season.

Also, think not enough alumni that care about baseball. Out of my friend group from college, there’s probably 3 that care about baseball, and they don’t live close enough to travel consistently.

Me personally, I’m a baseball guy. Kinda baseball then football then basketball for me. Obviously that’s an anomaly in our fanbase lol

I think what Grace and Tommy did last year on IC actually helped grow the base some. And all of the games being televised now will help as well. I think more folks will begin to gravitate to college baseball because it still feels like college athletics at most places.

 

[oldwell]

Me personally, I’m a baseball guy. Kinda baseball then football then basketball for me. Obviously that’s an anomaly in our fanbase lol

I think what Grace and Tommy did last year on IC actually helped grow the base some. And all of the games being televised now will help as well. I think more folks will begin to gravitate to college baseball because it still feels like college athletics at most places.

Yeah I’m a fan of every team pretty equally. I really just flow season to season.

I agree the fanbase is growing, and IC has done a fantastic job. ESPN + is also a big changer.

 

[Imatarheel79]

Probably best to separate these topics into different threads, but I do feel like it is necessary to note that the budget deficit in baseball has existed for as long as I can remember and certainly long before Scott took over for Mike Fox.

In 2023-24, UNC reported $2.8 million in revenue and $4.8 million in expenses. The primary revenue driver is ticket sales and that came in at $1.1 million, which doesn't even cover the coaching staff salaries. Donations/contributions help a bunch.

Thanks for that Greg. By no means was my post meant as a knock to Coach Forbes or any other past coaches. I was just answering a question. I can’t imagine having a better head coach than Scott Forbes and the members of his staff are extensions of him. Having spent a lot of my college days literally around the Bosh (living my freshman year in Avery and then 3 years in Ehringhaus) baseball at UNC has been part of my favorite things of what is now a 50 year experience through Rabb, Roberts, Fox and now Forbes. But it’s always come at a cost.

 

[psychoheel]

Coach Forbes spoke at the NCHSAA coaches clinic a few years back. Took the time to shake the hand and actually have a conversation with every person who approached him. I know it sounds like a little thing, but I've attended many clinics where the speaker will just shake the hand and move along quickly without engaging. He is 100% class and someone you want your son to play for.

 

[GregBarnes]

Thanks for that Greg. By no means was my post meant as a knock to Coach Forbes or any other past coaches. I was just answering a question. I can’t imagine having a better head coach than Scott Forbes and the members of his staff are extensions of him. Having spent a lot of my college days literally around the Bosh (living my freshman year in Avery and then 3 years in Ehringhaus) baseball at UNC has been part of my favorite things of what is now a 50 year experience through Rabb, Roberts, Fox and now Forbes. But it’s always come at a cost.

Right, I know that wasn't your intent, but wanted to provide some background for others who may not know.

 

[CoopCupp]

He’s the best men’s coach in our athletic department

 

[mpaer]

Define a few

2.08
lol
I believe WBB loses 3

 

[Heel1988]

Coach Forbes and his staff do the University proud and they lead the team to compete at a very high level. We are fortunate to have them.

 

[THEChapelthrill]

Me personally, I’m a baseball guy. Kinda baseball then football then basketball for me. Obviously that’s an anomaly in our fanbase lol

I think what Grace and Tommy did last year on IC actually helped grow the base some. And all of the games being televised now will help as well. I think more folks will begin to gravitate to college baseball because it still feels like college athletics at most places.

I'm pretty much over being anything but a "casual" fan of baseball and basketball. The NIL/ Portal and related sh*tstorm has absolutely ruined my fandom despite being a two time grad of UNC and LOVING UNC sports pretty much my whole life. Baseball is still susceptible to the same issues, and NIL and the portal are operating under the same (lack of) rules. Fortunately, there isn't the insane money driving the system yet in baseball, so it's clearly not as bad. I just hope it doesn't slide too far down the slippery slope as it is the only major sport at UNC I'm still interested in...

 

[unc80]

Same

 

[23Jordan23]

Forbes has done a great job putting high quality teams together. His teams have not performed well during crunch time during his tenure getting knocked out of the tournament by massive underdogs several times including last year. Overcoaching in the 7th, 8th & 9th innings has been a problem imo. Here’s hoping he leads us back to Omaha in 2026.

 

[uncbornbred]

If we get to the SEC in the next few years, the revenue generated by the baseball program will get a lot better. Just thinking about all those SEC teams coming to the Bosh week in and week out gets me excited.

For now, yes, baseball loses money but let’s focus on the spirit of the OP’s post:

Scott Forbes is a treasure and I’m so glad he’s a Tar Heel.

100%

GO HEELS

 

[uncbornbred]

Me personally, I’m a baseball guy. Kinda baseball then football then basketball for me. Obviously that’s an anomaly in our fanbase lol

I think what Grace and Tommy did last year on IC actually helped grow the base some. And all of the games being televised now will help as well. I think more folks will begin to gravitate to college baseball because it still feels like college athletics at most places.

"I think what Grace and Tommy did last year on IC actually helped grow the base some."

i would suggest they helped grow the base A LOT ... I would put these two as a duo, against any college message board forum in the country ... Tommy is great and Ms. Grace hits home run after home run with her back stories and in-depth analysis ...

GO HEELS

 

[uncbornbred]

Forbes has done a great job putting high quality teams together. His teams have not performed well during crunch time during his tenure getting knocked out of the tournament by massive underdogs several times including last year. Overcoaching in the 7th, 8th & 9th innings has been a problem imo. Here’s hoping he leads us back to Omaha in 2026.

that's one man's opinion ("Overcoaching in the 7th, 8th & 9th innings ...") ... i would respectively disagree

GO HEELS

 

[UNC76]

Forbes has done a great job putting high quality teams together. His teams have not performed well during crunch time during his tenure getting knocked out of the tournament by massive underdogs several times including last year. Overcoaching in the 7th, 8th & 9th innings has been a problem imo. Here’s hoping he leads us back to Omaha in 2026.

Sounds like you have an axe to grind with Scott. Saying we lost to "massive" underdogs is a lot of hyperbole.

 

[akillesheel17]

Sounds like you have an axe to grind with Scott. Saying we lost to "massive" underdogs is a lot of hyperbole.

i think it was maybe a fair criticism of forbes pre-2024 (tbc he was pretty badly hampered by never really having a reliable weekend rotation, let alone bullpen), but he's been COY-caliber each of the last two years. i don't think any reasonable observer would conclude that last year's team didn't get to Omaha because of "overcoaching."

 

[TarHeelColby10]

Forbes has done a great job putting high quality teams together. His teams have not performed well during crunch time during his tenure getting knocked out of the tournament by massive underdogs several times including last year. Overcoaching in the 7th, 8th & 9th innings has been a problem imo. Here’s hoping he leads us back to Omaha in 2026.

When has he been beaten by an underdog in the post season other than last year?

i think it was maybe a fair criticism of forbes pre-2024 (tbc he was pretty badly hampered by never really having a reliable weekend rotation, let alone bullpen), but he's been COY-caliber each of the last two years. i don't think any reasonable observer would conclude that last year's team didn't get to Omaha because of "overcoaching."

And I think he did an EXCELLENT job the year before the Omaha trip getting that team to a regional and having a chance to go to a regional final.

 

[23Jordan23]

The team went 28-27 in 2021 and lost to UCLA in the postseason. Got swept by Arkansas as a home favorite in 2022. Lost to Iowa in 2023. Beat LSU in extra innings (then WVU) to make the college world series in 2024. Lost as home favorite to Arizona in 2025.

The team has underperformed their seeding in the postseason for whatever reasons.

 

[TarHeelColby10]

The team went 28-27 in 2021 and lost to UCLA in the postseason. Got swept by Arkansas as a home favorite in 2022. Lost to Iowa in 2023. Beat LSU in extra innings (then WVU) to make the college world series in 2024. Lost as home favorite to Arizona in 2025.

The team has underperformed their seeding in the postseason for whatever reasons.

Arkansas was a much more talented team than ours in 22’. In 23, just getting that team to a regional was impressive, not to mention we were the 3 seed in that regional. Again, in 24’ LSU was much more talented than we were and we beat them, then swept WV. Last year, we lost to Arizona as a pretty evenly matched team.

So 3 out of 5 years we’ve hosted a super, won 2 acc championships, 5 straight regionals and 1 trip to Omaha. There’s not many teams in the country that can claim anything close to that.

but sure, whatever your narrative is.

 

[drugDAWGxUNC14]

Coach Forbes and his staff do the University proud and they lead the team to compete at a very high level. We are fortunate to have them.

Even more so this year than most!

 

[UNC76]

The team went 28-27 in 2021 and lost to UCLA in the postseason. Got swept by Arkansas as a home favorite in 2022. Lost to Iowa in 2023. Beat LSU in extra innings (then WVU) to make the college world series in 2024. Lost as home favorite to Arizona in 2025.

The team has underperformed their seeding in the postseason for whatever reasons.

Nice job of moving the goalposts, going from we lost to "massive underdogs" to we "underperformed our seeding". In both 2021 and 2023, we were the 3 seed in our regional, and lost to the 2 seed. In 2022, Arkansas was a borderline regional host, who got hot at the right time and actually won 3 games in Omaha after beating us in the Super. Last year, Arizona was on fire coming to Chapel Hill, having outscored their 6 opponents 49-9 in their conference tourney and regional. Of course, none of that fits your agenda.

 

[HeelYeah2012]

The only time we have lost in the postseason as any kind of massive favorite under Forbes was to Arizona last year.

Acting like Arkansas was some spunky underdog coming in here in 2022 gave me a good laugh.