Duke vs UNC: The History

With the upcoming game, it’s only fitting to dive in to the history of Duke vs UNC, the more historic and storied rivalry in all of sports.

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Way back, over 100 years ago, Duke played their first game against North Carolina. Back when Duke was Trinity College, they played in 1920, and Carolina won, 36-25. Every year since then, Duke and UNC have played twice a year, only separated by 11 miles. When looking at the NCAA Tournament, UNC has had 6 National Championsips (some of them way back in the early 1900’s), compared to Duke’s 5. Prior to 2022, Duke and UNC had met once in postseason play, only in the 1972 NIT, though that is often forgotten because of the 2022 meeting in New Orleans in the Final Four.

Duke/UNC has had their fair share of very close games. Back in 1968, Duke pulled away after 3 overtimes, winning by 1 point. There’s been plenty of regular overtime games, most recently in 2020, when there were two buzzer beaters, resulting in a Duke win. Don’t forget about the tenting, which only happens at Duke, where the students camp out right after Christmas break, waiting for a spot for the big game.

With all this being said, Duke is playing a dismantled Carolina team this Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

#GODUKE