A History Lesson

I feel that it is necessary that if you are reading this blog, that you understand the history behind the title "Tobacco Road". Tobacco road, or now known as Interstate 40, is a road that runs between Duke, University of North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. All of the schools are within 25 miles of each other with the exception of Wake Forest. Wake Forest is only an hour down I-40 or tobacco road. It used to be located within the 25 mile limit in Wake Forest, NC until it was relocated to Winston Salem, NC. These four Universities are known as the Big Four and have competed in the "Dixie Classic" tournament and the "Big Four" tournament. The fight song for NC State mentions all four schools in the lines, "Come over the hill, Caroline. Devils and Deacs stand in line." Come over the hill is replaced with "go to hell" by fans simply of hatred for the Tarheels. Although these four schools in the Research Triangle of NC are all competitive, the main competition is the "Battle of the Blues". Carolina and Duke. Nothing more needs to be said. A poll conducted by ESPN in 2000 ranked it the 3rd greatest sports rivalries of ALL TIME. The game on March 4, 2006 was the most watched game in college basketball history. At least two times a year the two teams meet. North Carolina is leading the series 127-98. The two schools have won the ACC title 79% of the time that the ACC has existed. Duke has won three National Titles and fourteen final fours. North Carolina has 5 championships and an NCAA record 16 final four appearances. The best account, I believe, of the rivalry is the Will Blythe's description. He said, "to legions of otherwise reasonable adults, it is a conflict that surpasses sports; it is locals against outsiders, elitists against populists, even good against evil. The rivalry may be a way of aligning oneself with larger philosophic ideals -- of choosing teams in life -- a tradition of partisanship that reveals the pleasures and even the necessity of hatred."

RIVALRY HISTORY