Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Duke-Carolina: A dream Final Four matchup — except for the losing fan base

Full disclosure.

North Carolina native and UNC grad here.

So this is happening. After decades of repeatedly living up to its reputation as the greatest rivalry in college sports (sorry, OSU-Michigan; check the receipts), Duke and North Carolina are squaring off in the NCAA tournament. For the first time. In the Final Four. On Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell tour.

Forgive the sports cliché. But short of a national championship matchup, you couldn’t write a more dramatic script if you tried. This is big. Maybe too big. For the die-hards of both fan bases, this week will be racked with anxiety.