The University of North Carolina (UNC) does not officially recognize these games in their record books because they were organized under the auspices of the Student Army Training Corps rather than the school itself.
[2] The team was coached by Marvin Ritch, a former UNC basketball and football star in 1912, and captained by Allan Gant.
In light of their struggles, The Tar Heel, the University's paper, published an editorial which read "We are of the opinion that this team with the setback on account of influenza and other unavoidable reverses, has done miraculously well, and deserves to be set down with the football heroes of Carolina.
"[4] Though the season is not currently recognized by the UNC Athletics Department, evidence suggests that in the past it was given its place in team history.
Smith Barrier's On Carolina's Gridiron (1937) included the season in his comprehensive study of Tar Heel football from its inception through 1936 with the note that a "Student Army Training Corps team represented [the] University" for the season, and further noted that 1917 was "The only year [North] Carolina did not have a varsity team.