The Greatest Rivalry In Sports

With apologies to fans of the Red Sox and Yankees, as well as fans of the Celtics and Lakers, the greatest rivalry in sports occurs twice per year in North Carolina. These two teams typically meet in February, and again in March, driving eight miles to reach their destination. In battles that usually play a large role in determining the ACC regular-season champion, the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels duel in extremely heated competition.

These teams have met since 1920, and have had countless memorable games throughout the history of the rivalry. These games include Michael Jordan's final home game for North Carolina on March 3, 1984, which resulted in a double-overtime victory for the Tar Heels and both regular season matchups in 2005, in which the teams split the series by a combined margin of three points.

The proximity of the two universites adds to the allure of the rivalry. With the two schools located just eight miles from one another, there are typically fierce recruiting battles between the schools. This intensity spills over onto the court, creating hatred for the rival school. Some of the greatest players in college basketball history, and one player who is arguably the greatest man to ever play the game of basketball, have played in this rivalry. The top two players on the ACC all-time scoring list played at North Carolina or Duke, with North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough passing Duke's J.J. Redick for the record. Also, one Michael Jordan donned Carolina blue to take on Duke from 1982-84. Some other great players who dueled in the "Battle of Tobacco Road" include James Worthy (North Carolina), Vince Carter (North Carolina), Christian Laettner (Duke), and Bobby Hurley (Duke). These players each had a role of contributing to the history of the rivalry from their time spent immersed in it.

Both universities have experienced great success on the basketball court, as both universities rank in the top 5 all-time in many statistical categories including, ACC tournament championships (Duke 18, 1st, North Carolina 17, 2nd), and Final Four appearances (North Carolina 18, 1st, Duke 15, 3rd). The success that these teams have typically results in at least one team holding a top-ten ranking entering the games.

North Carolina and Duke will meet tonight for the 230th time in their respective histories, and with the tenacity of this rivalry, another memorable contest could unfold before our eyes.

Sources: espn.com, ncaa.org