Duke and North Carolina play basketball tonight in Durham. That two schools so close together could sustain excellence in the same sport at the same time makes this the best rivalry in the Carolinas.
No. 2 is the football rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina. And these days they play a little basketball, too.
No. 3?
You tell me. It could be a Friday night football game between two small towns, the streets emptying as everybody shows up two hours early to grab a space in the bleachers. It could be Independence and Butler, the rosters full of college prospects, the Patriots on top, Butler trying to knock them off.
Every college in the Carolinas has a rival. The Southern Conference offers some great rivalries. But few of them resonate with outsiders.
North Carolina-N.C. State is a rivalry in football, but the Wolfpack has ceased to be a threat in basketball. Every time East Carolina gets a shot at the Tar Heels or Wolfpack in football, that's a rivalry, but it's part-time. The Charlotte 49ers and Davidson had a nice basketball rivalry when Davidson had time to play. Charlotte's biggest rival is now the economy in the context of its spirited football fundraising campaign.
Wake Forest has done great work in football and good work in basketball, but the Deacons are nobody's primary rival. They're an island. Sometimes important guests beach up.
The Carolina Panthers' biggest rival is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Charlotte Bobcats' biggest rival is apathy.
What distinguishes the Blue Devils and Tar Heels is that when they play everybody cares, even those that claim not to. I don't pretend. Like the rest of you, I love this game.
3rd biggest rivalry? I'm going to go with Appalachain State and Furman. These two teams have matched up for years in the SOCON, both producing almost film worthy finishes. Like Miracle on the Mountain, when the Paladins down 6, score a TD to tie it, but go for two and get it intercepted and returned for an App win. Or the 1st national championship year, when Furman had a come from behind win over App in the regular season, and then in the semifinals App knocks off Furman on the final play to go the big game. There are many many many more stories like this, and this rivalry, of a Small Mountain College vs the ritzy private college is a good one
Posted by: AParker | February 11, 2009 at 10:20 AM
UNC and Duke rivalry is the best in the country. No contest.
Posted by: Todd | February 11, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Appalachian State-Western Carolina
Posted by: Ellen | February 11, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Durham is not really a small town with a MSA of over half mill and 220,000 in its city. Chapel Hill has a population of 50,000 in its city but we get the scenario you are painting.
Too bad UNCC couldnt have its own small city college town if the hungry annexing beast city of Charlotte would release them from its confines. University City with about 50,000 would be great and about a 360 degree half mile diameter.
Yea rite. Keep dreaming.
And we think they need to make the front entrance to UNCC on Highway 29 where the new nice large redbrick buildings look like a real university entrance. The 49 entrance looks more like an exit.
Posted by: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ( at charlotte). | February 11, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Duke vs. UNC may be the largest feud but make no mistake, the most intense rivalry in the Carolinas is North Carolina Central vs. North Carolina A&T! It's not even close!
Posted by: AggieDecks | February 11, 2009 at 11:06 AM
I think the Carolina Panthers have a bigger rivary with the Atlanta Falcons than Tampa Bay.If you took a vote, more fans in Charlotte would rather beat the city of Atlanta, and the city of Atlanta would rather beat us, than they would Tampa Bay.
Posted by: Kenneth | February 11, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I'm surprised there's no mention of North Carolina Central and NC A&T. But maybe I'm not surprised....
Posted by: Heel4Life | February 11, 2009 at 11:16 AM
N.C. Central vs. N.C. A&T? Appalachian State vs. Furman? Your puny fan bases may care, but no one else. Any of you who think these worthless matchups warrant consideration for one of the top rivalries in the Carolinas are kidding yourselves.
Posted by: mikbarrett | February 11, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Puny fanbase? Appalachian State is a 14,000 student school who averaged almost 30,000 in football game attendance last season, as well as arguable the biggest upset in College Football history. Very relevant in NC, like it or not.
Posted by: Mike | February 11, 2009 at 12:15 PM
What about the ECU/NCState football rivalry? It is a little one-sided where ECU fans care a lot more than NCState fans, but I am certain that NCState hates to lose to ECU. Remember: the only sign of intelligent life in Raleigh....Greenville 77 mi.
Posted by: Jay | February 11, 2009 at 12:35 PM
NC State/Carolina is more of a football rivalry than the State/ECU game, as a State fan, and graduate, we hate ECU as much as carolina but would hate more to lose to an in conference foe (like the holes) than to ECU.
Posted by: GO PACK! | February 11, 2009 at 01:36 PM
3rd biggest rivalry - Latin vs. Country Day football
Posted by: Rich Kid | February 11, 2009 at 04:19 PM
Duke-UNC is the best rivalry in BASKETBALL. Duke has been the laughing stock of the nation in football until last season when they sucked slightly less than normal. UNC doesn't have much room to talk. Best rivalry in the Carolinas? No. Most overhyped by the media? Hmm...
UNC-USC was a great rivalry back when USC was in the ACC, and it could be a fun one again.
Posted by: NorthSouth | February 11, 2009 at 05:05 PM
A&T - NCCU is definitely #2 and it reaches across all sports!
Posted by: Lou | February 11, 2009 at 07:16 PM
If you want to check out a rivalary, go to a friday night football game between Maiden and Lincolnton.
Posted by: Keith | February 11, 2009 at 07:40 PM
From what Ive seen, the most intense rivalry is between NCA&T and NCCU. Those 2 schools absolutely hate each other unlike those other rivalries where players from opposing schools are friends and are known to hang out with one another. Aggies and Eagles absolutely dispise one another and it shows on and off the field/court.
Posted by: JacksonStateTiger | February 11, 2009 at 09:37 PM
I think the top rivals in NC are:
NCCU Eagles vs A&T Aggies (All around sports rivals), UNC vs NCSU (football rivals), and Duke vs UNC (basketball rivals).
Posted by: Art Kane | February 12, 2009 at 01:02 AM
Definitely NC A&T vs NCCU this has been a rivalry for decades!
Posted by: kb | February 12, 2009 at 01:50 AM
A&T? NCCU? lol Lets get real here. Who the hell are those nobodys? 2 tiny mice? What a joke.
Posted by: DUKE/UNC REAL MANPOWER | February 12, 2009 at 07:40 AM
You're right about the third biggest rivalry being a high school football game, Concord-Kannapolis is the third biggest rivalry in the Carolinas. It's not Independence-Butler, or even Lincolnton-Maiden.
Concord and Kannapolis is the state's oldest football rivalry. They were busy hating each other long before Independence and Butler existed.
Both teams are good, frequently going deep into the state playoffs and both have state championships under their belt. But mostly, the schools are a few miles apart and they hate each other, and the crowds turn out and the passions run deep.
This is easily the best high school rivalry in NC.
Posted by: DBM LA | February 12, 2009 at 12:41 PM
NC A&T and NCCU brought 22,000 fans to Charlotte Memorial Stadium last year. They average attendence attendence of them playing has been around 30,000.
Posted by: kb | February 12, 2009 at 01:26 PM
NCCU vs. NC A&T drew 46,000 in a game at Carter Finley in the late 90's. Comparatively, Clemson vs. UNC drew only 2,000 more on the same weekend. Not bad for 2 tiny mice...huh?
Posted by: AggieDecks | February 12, 2009 at 07:03 PM