Stroman on Sports (News On The Hill)

97.9 The Hill’s Dr. Deborah Stroman and Brighton McConnell discuss on Friday, Jan. 30 a pair of major ESPN reports recently published. The first: Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham’s sourced story on Bill Belichick not earning enough votes to be inducted as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, with Stroman and McConnell discussing interesting aspects of the reasoning and response. The second: a profile on how and why the NFL stuck with its selection of Bad Bunny for the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, bucking a recent trend of businesses and groups curtailing to pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a consulting professor for UNC and Virginia, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about headlines from the world of sports. Covering both local and national stories, Stroman specializes in connecting the on-field product to the impact of sports on business, culture and society. Listen to their past conversations on Chapelboro, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Belichick Exclusion Causes Scrutiny of Hall of Fame Process + NFL Stands Behind Bad Bunny — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 30, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill’s Deborah Stroman and Brighton McConnell chat on Friday, Jan. 23 about one of the top sports stories of the week: quarterback Darian Mensah being sued by Duke University for entering the transfer portal and potentially breaking his contract with the football program. As Duke tries to prevent Mensah from reportedly jumping to an ACC rival, Stroman shares her thoughts on how the case could set a precedent for both schools’ and players’ future negotiations and navigation of roster construction. Debby also shares her thoughts on the increasing trend of basketball players with professional experience using their remaining college eligibility to join college programs mid-season.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a consulting professor for UNC and Virginia, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about headlines from the world of sports. Covering both local and national stories, Stroman specializes in connecting the on-field product to the impact of sports on business, culture and society. Listen to their past conversations on Chapelboro, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Mensah v. Duke Reflects Ongoing Professionalization of College Sports — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 23, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill’s Deborah Stroman and Brighton McConnell chat on Friday, Jan. 16 ahead of the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship game coming up on Monday. As Miami takes on Indiana in the Hurricanes’ home stadium, what storylines are we following on and off the field? What would a Miami win mean not just for the program, but for the ACC? And is Indiana football’s turnaround in these past two seasons among the best stories in sports history? Debby says why she thinks it deserves an asterisk.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a consulting professor for UNC and Virginia, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about headlines from the world of sports. Covering both local and national stories, Stroman specializes in connecting the on-field product to the impact of sports on business, culture and society. Listen to their past conversations on Chapelboro, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Storylines We’re Following in the College Football Championship Game — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 16, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman and News Director Brighton McConnell chat for the first “Stroman on Sports” segment of 2026 on Friday, Jan. 9. With both UNC basketball programs coming off of losses to start the new year (and the early stretch of conference play), Debby discusses the narratives around both teams and what questions are being asked about the head coaches’ strategies. Men’s basketball has had a strong start — but the team is still building chemistry and is searching for an identity. The women’s team, meanwhile, has lost critical conference games in the closing minutes while missing crunch-time free throws. The pair share their thoughts, as well as react to the news of Miami football punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff championship game.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a consulting professor for UNC and Virginia, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about headlines from the world of sports. Covering both local and national stories, Stroman specializes in connecting the on-field product to the impact of sports on business, culture and society. Listen to their past conversations on Chapelboro, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Where the UNC Basketball Programs Stand as 2026 Starts — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 9, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman and 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell chat on Friday, Dec. 19 for the final “Stroman on Sports” segment of 2025. With the end of the year here, the pair look back over some of the biggest recurring themes in sports stories in the past calendar year and share what they’ll remember about sports in 2025. Stroman discussing collective bargaining, the influence of gambling and the rise of media figures who don’t have clear backgrounds in journalism and real connections in the world of sports. McConnell, meanwhile, talks about the dramatic postseasons fans saw in the major sports leagues and how streaming platforms either materialized or struck bigger deals to invest in broadcasting live sporting events.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a UNC professor, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about the world of sports. Click here to listen to their past conversations on the latest sports headlines and impact in the game, on culture, and for business.

The post Discussing the Top Sports Stories and Themes of 2025 — Stroman On Sports (Dec. 19, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman chats with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Friday, Dec. 5 before heading to Charlotte to take in No. 17 Virginia vs. Duke football for the Atlantic Coast Conference title. The pair discuss the incredible season for Stroman’s Cavaliers, including the difficult circumstances head coach Tony Elliott has worked through, and what contributed to the Wahoos’ success. They also preview the matchup on Saturday and discuss how damaging to the ACC’s reputation it could be if Duke wins and is left out of the College Football Playoff by the selection committee because of their five losses. Debby also discusses the importance of representation in this matchup and the business elements the CFP leadership might be weighing when it comes to other conference champions.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a UNC professor, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about the world of sports. Click here to listen to their past conversations on the latest sports headlines and impact in the game, on culture, and for business.

The post Previewing The ACC Title Game and Discusses its Disaster Scenario — Stroman On Sports (Dec. 5, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Friday, Nov. 28. The Thanksgiving holiday delivered several exciting games — like UNC women’s basketball winning over South Dakota State, men’s basketball falling to Michigan State, and a trio of NFL matchups. Stroman shares her thoughts on Courtney Banghart’s team’s performances of late, including a triple-double by Indya Nivar, and details where she believes Hubert Davis’ team fell short vs. the Spartans.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a UNC professor, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about the world of sports. Click here to listen to their past conversations on the latest sports headlines and impact in the game, on culture, and for business.

The post Thanksgiving Sports Recap, Including Tar Heel Basketball and NFL — Stroman On Sports (Nov. 28, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Friday, Nov. 21. With the UNC women’s basketball team coming off of two convincing wins following their first loss of the season to No. 3 UCLA, Stroman shares her impressions of the Tar Heels — including which players have stood out and which she believes need to step up.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a UNC professor, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about the world of sports. Click here to listen to their past conversations on the latest sports headlines and impact in the game, on culture, and for business.

The post Impressions of UNC and ACC Women’s Basketball 5 Games In — Stroman On Sports (Nov. 21, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Dr. Deborah Stroman chats with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Friday, Oct. 10 about the news-filled week for UNC football. Despite the team having a bye and statements claiming otherwise, numerous reports around head coach Bill Belichick and UNC exploring buyout options dominated local headlines — along with reports of a chaotic culture within the football center. What does it all mean for the team? Stroman shares her thoughts on that, how the team can try to focus and play through the distractions and her prediction on whether Belichick will still be leading the Tar Heels by the end of the season.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a UNC professor, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about the world of sports. Click here to listen to their past conversations on the latest sports headlines and impact in the game, on culture, and for business.

The post Stroman on Sports: Unpacking UNC Football Drama and Whether Carolina Can Push Through appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman joins 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell on Friday, October 3 to discuss the latest updates from the WNBA — chiefly, regarding off-court drama between the league’s leadership and one of its biggest stars. Stroman and McConnell dive into Napheesa Collier’s comments and criticisms of Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, including the lack of accountability for inconsistent officiating and out-of-touch comments about the star power helping drive the WNBA’s popularity. Stroman shares why she finds it disturbing, what she’s heard from W alumnae, and why the timing of the comments could distract from the championship matchup. Plus: how does Collier’s torching of the commissioner set the table for CBA negotiations this offseason and what is Stroman’s most intriguing storyline between the Mercury and Aces in the WNBA Finals?

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a UNC professor, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about the world of sports. Click here to listen to their past conversations on the latest sports headlines and impact in the game, on culture, and for business.

The post Stroman on Sports: What is HAPPENING in The W??? appeared first on Chapelboro.com.