CHAPEL HILL — The University of North Carolina has released a strategic plan for its athletic department for the next four years. Here's the official release about it from UNC. A story from us is forthcoming. The plan outlined the mission for the UNC athletic department – “We educate and inspire through athletics” – and also defined four priorities:

-Alignment: “Align our operations to fulfill the mission of the university.”
-Academic Achievement: to be top-three in the conference and top-10 nationally in each sport in the classroom.
-Athletic Performance: to be top-three in the conference and top-10 nationally in each sport on the field.
-Administrative engagement: “Engage internal and external constituents to relentlessly pursue the resources and administrative structures necessary for success.”

I had an extensive interview with Bubba Cunningham, the UNC athletic director, on Tuesday.

We spoke about a variety of issues surrounding the athletic department – most of which the strategic plan touches on directly (improving the relationship between the athletic department and the rest of the university, improving the academic standing of various teams) and some not (athletic department finances, conference realignment).

Here’s the interview: