It's recently been reported that North Carolina, along with several other marquee programs across the ACC, are exploring a potential move to the SEC. Amid the largest conference realignment period in history, UNC's desire to join the SEC is one of the most significant yet.
Now, the rivalry between Duke and North Carolina is widely regarded as one of the best rivalries in college sports, and some even say it is the best in all of sports. Although the Blue Devils and Heels face off in most sports, it's men's basketball that brings most of the attention to the rivalry.
For the students at both Duke and UNC, the week leading up to this rivalry contest means sleeping in tents outside for days to secure tickets, and it's the most hyped up contest of the college basketball season.
And for the networks, this game means big views. In 2025, the regular season finale between Duke and Carolina drew 3.4 million viewers at its peak on ESPN, the best game on the network this season.
Duke's Final Four instant classic against UNC delivered 16.3 million viewers, projected to be the second-most viewed college basketball telecast in the history of cable television up to that point once out-of-home viewership is included.
It's no secret that Duke's two annual marquee games against the Tar Heels are likely the two most anticipated games in college hoops each season, given the storied histories of both the blue-blood programs. If UNC makes a move to the SEC, how does this affect that?
Well, it would no longer guarantee two matchups per year between the two schools, and making two out-of-conference games with the same school every year doesn't really happen. The programs would likely have to agree with a "home-and-home" type deal, but even that only guarantees one matchup a year for however many years the agreement is made for.
It feels like if UNC elects to ultimately move conferences, the program would have to be a package deal with Duke. However, at least at this point, Duke's football success probably wouldn't translate to the SEC level.
Beyond numbers or anything of that sort, it also just wouldn't feel right to not have Duke and UNC in the same conference, playing twice a year, and delivering the best rivalry the sport has to offer year in and year out.
There's a lot the University of North Carolina has to think about before making a move to the SEC, but a switch for the Heels could have drastic effects on this rivalry.