It was another cold, winter night in Raleigh as a friend and I were going to a Carolina Hurricanes game. Both of us were in UNC hoodies. As we walked through the security line, we were complimented by the security guards on our sweatshirts, making us feel more comfortable in Wolfpack territory.
But as we climbed through seats to find where we were supposed to sit, we heard the yells of “boo” and “filthy cheaters.” Later that night, a fan hoping to find his car was about to ask my friend for directions, but he was interrupted by another fan, who yelled, “They don’t know nothin’— they’re Carolina fans!”
Duke, N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill make up a highly competitive three-team rivalry. The three schools’ men’s basketball programs have combined for 13 national championships, 48 ACC Tournament championships and 37 first-team All Americans. All three of the schools lie within 25 miles of each other, jamming most fans of the schools in one place, including Northwood.
“I think the best part is that we’re all so close together,” said junior Katie Fuller, who cheers for UNC. “I’ve grown up with State and Duke fans around me in ways that other rivalries haven’t.”
Growing up around fans from the other two schools, though, can result in conflict. Fuller, takes her hatred of Duke very seriously.
“I have a PowerPoint saved on my phone that a friend and I made that just explains all the reasons that UNC is better than Duke,” Fuller said. “I get into arguments pretty often.”
However, some Tar Heel fans, and even a player, do not feel the same way about their other rival, N.C. State. UNC star guard Joel Berry came out to say he doesn’t treat N.C. State as a rival.
“I don’t necessarily treat that as a rivalry,” Berry said in a press conference in January. “When you talk about a rivalry, you always talk about Duke-North Carolina. That’s the biggest one.”
Senior Bryce Davis, an N.C. State fan, does not agree with Berry’s comments.
“Some people believe UNC-N.C. State should not be called a rivalry, and that’s just inaccurate,” Davis said. “Granted, UNC-Duke is one of the biggest rivalries in all of basketball, but the State-UNC games should not be overlooked in basketball.”
Former Northwood student Ryan Harradine gets caught up in the UNC-N.C. State portion of the rivalry on a daily basis. Harradine grew up as a UNC fan, but now attends N.C. State for college.
“I was born and raised a Carolina fan, and around halfway through college, I realized I just couldn’t root for State,” Harradine said. “I could just never really switch.”
Harradine, though, enjoys the experience of being a Tar Heel fan on the Wolfpack’s campus.
“It’s kind of fun at times, because when I walk around campus in a Carolina shirt, it’s funny to watch people get mad,” Harradine said. “My fraternity brothers do make fun of me a lot, but it’s all in good fun.”
Despite what fans classify as a rivalry, according to students, all three matchups have provided some incredible games and memorable moments.
“My favorite moment is either when Dennis Smith Jr. dunked after the buzzer when [N.C. State beat] Duke [last year], or beating UNC in the Dean Dome this year,” Davis said.
History teacher and UNC graduate Nicholas McAlister also has fond memories of the rivalry games.
“I was watching the Tyler Hansbrough game live whenever he got the Gerald Henderson elbow in the face, so that obviously stands out,” McAlister said. “Also, beating State by like 80 last year stands out as well.”
At the end of the day, fans from all three of the schools don’t let the rivalry get in-between their friendships. Junior Duke fan Adam Rimolt never has bad intentions when talking trash to his friends.
“It’s all in good fun,” Rimolt said. “If people let the rivalry separate them from their friends, then they are probably taking it too seriously.”
Fuller agrees.
“I’m still friends with fans from each fanbase,” Fuller said. “But most of them are lighthearted, and it’s something we both enjoy arguing about.”
– By Jeffrey Marcin
