The UNC-NC State rivalry is an ongoing series of athletic competitions between the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University, both of which are located in the Research Triangle district of North Carolina, along with Duke University. The intensity of the rivalry is driven by the universities' similar size and the fact that the schools are separated by only 20 miles. Both are in the Atlantic Coast Conference and are part of the Tobacco Road schools. The two most prominent sports in the rivalry were football and basketball. In the sport of football, North Carolina and NC State were matched up as "permanent rivals"; NC State is in the conference's Atlantic Division and North Carolina is in the Coastal Division. North Carolina is known for its basketball history. They have won 6 NCAA National Championships between them (North Carolina 4, NC State 2), and 26 of the past 54 ACC Tournaments (North Carolina 16, NC State 10).

Pranks

It was traditional for Wolfpack fans and Tar Heel fans to exchange pranks before and sometimes after important games between the two universities. One of the most notable pranks by North Carolina fans is painting NC State's Free Expression Tunnel Carolina Blue before big athletic competitions. In retaliation, NC State students traveled to Chapel Hill to play their Red and White Song or their Fight Song and occasionally dye water fountains red, the main NC State athletic color. However, before the 2008 basketball game, The Old Well in was vandalized with red spray paint. An emerging tradition was for NC State students to camp in front of the Free Expression Tunnel to prevent Carolina fans from painting it; this camp out is known to State students as "The Ram Roast".

Newspaper bashing

One day prior to the basketball game in Raleigh, Technician, NC State's student newspaper, publishes a spoof cover page for the day's edition with the title The Daily Tar Hell. Contained within are fake news stories poking fun at The Daily Tar Heel and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

From 1994 to 1995, teams from Technician and The Daily Tar Heel played a football game called The Grudge Bowl on the Friday before the North Carolina-NC State football game. The game was played under standard college football rules but with none of the protective equipment. Technician staff members won both meetings in blowouts, claiming a booby-prize called "The Golden Plunger" and, in 1994, declared themselves the National Football Champion of College Student Media. The Daily Tar Heel declined to renew the series after hosting the second game.

Men's basketball all-time series records

Listed by number of matches won.

All-time series record

• North Carolina: 138; NC State: 75

By location

• In Chapel Hill: North Carolina:67; NC State:22
• At Carmichael Auditorium: North Carolina, 18-4
• At Smith Center: North Carolina: 17; NC State:5
• In Raleigh: North Carolina:56; NC State:45
• At Reynolds Coliseum: North Carolina:29; NC State:29
• At ESA/RBC: North Carolina:4; NC State:3
• At neutral site: North Carolina:17; NC State:9

By tournament

• NCAA Championships: North Carolina:4; NC State:2
• Southern Conference Tournament: NC State:7; North Carolina:3
• Big Four Tournament: NC State:3; North Carolina:2
• ACC Tournament: North Carolina:16; NC State:10

By coach

North Carolina coaches

• Frank McGuire: 13-9
• Dean Smith: 60-30
• Bill Guthridge: 6-1
• Matt Doherty: 4-2
• Roy Williams: 10-1 (15-1 overall)

NC State coaches

• Everett Case: 25-19
• Press Maravich: 2-2
• Norm Sloan: 13-26
• Jim Valvano: 6-18
• Les Robinson: 5-7
• Herb Sendek: 5-16
• Sidney Lowe: 1-4

By decade

• 1910s NC State: 2; North Carolina:0
• 1920s: North Carolina:17; NC State:3
• 1930s: North Carolina:16; NC State:6
• 1940s: North Carolina:13; NC State:10
• 1950s: NC State: 18 North Carolina:10
• 1960s: North Carolina:18 NC State:4
• 1970s: North Carolina:17; NC State:13
• 1980s: North Carolina:18; NC State:7
• 1990s: North Carolina:15; NC State:7
• 2000s: North Carolina:13; NC State:5

Other

Listed by score.

• North Carolina's largest victory margin: 62-10 (February 19, 1921)
• NC State's largest victory margin: 79-39 (February 19, 1949)

Football all-time series records

Listed by number of matches won.

• Alltime record North Carolina: 63; NC State: 28; Ties: 6
• Record in ACC (1953-2006): North Carolina: 34; NC State: 20
• Record in Carter-Finley Stadium North Carolina:12; NC State 8

Largest victory margins

Listed by score.

• NC State's largest victory margin: 45 points, score: 48-3 (October 15, 1988)
• North Carolina's largest victory margin: 32 points, score: 52-20 (November 2, 1996) & 41-9 (October 17, 1982)

References