UNC vs. Duke: The Greatest Rivalry in Sports | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

UNC vs. Duke: The Greatest Rivalry in Sports

When it comes to college basketball, you can always expect the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils to put on a show.

303
UNC vs. Duke: The Greatest Rivalry in Sports
Wikimedia Commons

The NCAA Men's Basketball League is known for exciting and competitive games across the board, however, there are two teams that stick out. The University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils are known for having elite programs. With UNC having 6 National Championships and Duke with 5, these teams bring tough competition to the table each year. This could be a major explanation as to why these teams are infamously known as being arch-rivals.

Beginning in 1920, the battle between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils is considered one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sport's history.

10 miles separate these two universities on Tobacco Road, but the journey is more than that, as the matchup is a long-awaited event. Intensity runs through the blood of fans from both teams, as they feel there is only room for one team in North Carolina to triumph.

Though the rivalry is intense with every athletic team, college basketball is at another level. The two face each other twice in regular season play, and they always put on a show for fans. Students camp outside of the arenas (Dean Smith Center and Cameron Indoor) as early as one week before the games to show their excitement and dedication.

You never know what is going to happen when these two teams battle, as sometimes one team may win both games, or each will win one game. Sometimes home court advantage plays a vital role in a win, and sometimes one team disappoints the crowd and wins the away game.

The rivalry has been going on for years and will continue to make history in the world of college sports. There have been too many game-winning shots within the final seconds of the game to count, that leaves one opponent feeling breathless and the other ecstatic.

There have been cases in which these teams have faced each other more than twice during the season. Just last year, in the 2017 season UNC and Duke battled it out for the ACC title. Going into this game, each team had one win under belt winning at their respective home courts. Duke took home the win and the ACC title.

There have also been several cases in which one of the teams is ranked highly in the league, and one had a losing record. You can pretty much forget each team's record when going into these rivalry match-ups. It's usually a coin toss or a boxing match, where each team needs to throw a punch in order to stay alive.

The environment in these game settings is a catalyst for the performance of the players. Before their most recent matchup on February 8, 2018, in the last 100 meetings each team won 50 games and the difference in points scored was only 2.

Carolina was the victor in the most recent match-up, but you can expect another exciting game on March 3rd. Will North Carolina advance in the series 52-50, or will Duke keep it exciting and tie it at 51-51?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

4423
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
kid
Janko Ferlic
Do as I say, not as I do.

Your eyes widen in horror as you stare at your phone. Beads of sweat begin to saturate your palm as your fingers tremble in fear. The illuminated screen reads, "Missed Call: Mom."

Growing up with strict parents, you learn that a few things go unsaid. Manners are everything. Never talk back. Do as you're told without question. Most importantly, you develop a system and catch on to these quirks that strict parents have so that you can play their game and do what you want.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
tv.com

"Friends" maybe didn’t have everything right or realistic all the time, but they did have enough episodes to create countless reaction GIFs and enough awesomeness to create, well, the legacy they did. Something else that is timeless, a little rough, but memorable? Living away from the comforts of home. Whether you have an apartment, a dorm, your first house, or some sort of residence that is not the house you grew up in, I’m sure you can relate to most of these!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments