Duke basketball (27-3, 18-1 ACC) will end its season in Chapel Hill to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels (20-11, 13-6 ACC) on March 8th (6:30pm ET, ESPN).
It's the best rivalry in college basketball, and some say the best rivalry in all of sports. However, there's been some conversation lately about the rivalry's relevance and future. So, is it crucial for the Blue Devils and Tar Heels to put on an instant classic on Saturday night?
After ESPN College GameDay announced it would be hosted in Chapel Hill on Saturday for the Duke/UNC rivarlry, which seemed like an obvious decision, USA Today's Dan Wolken posted on X saying the rivalry is becoming an "increasingly irrelevant game."
"ESPN needs an intervention and a 12 step program at this point to let go of its addiction to this increasingly irrelevant game," Wolken said.
ESPN needs an intervention and a 12 step program at this point to let go of its addiction to this increasingly irrelevant game https://t.co/i4WTb920C0
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) March 1, 2025
It was a bit of a head-scratching claim as the rivalry consistently is one of the most-watched contests of the college basketball season, and for good reason. Blue Devil and Tar Heel faithful live for this rivalry, and it's an incredible atmosphere for fans to watch on TV.
Now, this season's first edition of the rivalry was a game fans could turn off at halftime. Duke won 87-70, but it was over after the first few minutes and the Blue Devils went into the halftime break with a 47-25 lead.
Wolken isn't the only one to hint at the rivalry's downfall, as former Duke basketball player Jay Williams said fans should "cherish" what's left of the rivalry.
"We need to cherish this game," Williams said. "Who knows how much longer we might have this game? North Carolina could potentially go to the Big 10."
There's been no serious talks of UNC leaving the ACC, and Williams wasn't saying the rivalry wasn't a fantastic game anymore, but there seems to be growing conversation that the best of this rivalry is behind us.
Although, it is fair to say that a great game on Saturday night might be needed to keep the rivalry's excitement going. Over the years, for the most part regardless of how good either team is that season, the game is fantastic.
The most recent example of this was in 2023. The Heels were ranked #1 in the preseason and went on to miss the NCAA Tournament entirely in a major down year, and Duke earned a 5-seed, but both games were great, as the Blue Devils won 62-57 in Chapel Hill and 63-57 at Cameron.
Another example was 2020, when Duke was ranked 7th in the nation and the Tar Heels were 10-12 at the time of the game in Chapel Hill. Duke won the game, but it took two buzzer-beaters, one by Tre Jones to force overtime and another by Wendell Moore to win it at the buzzer, but the game was an instant classic nonetheless. The Blue Devils were down 13 points with four and a half minutes to go in the game, and came back and won it 98-96.
An instant classic on Saturday night would be refreshing for college basketball fans after how game one of the rivalry this season went. It also has some major tournament implications for both teams.
UNC is projected as one of the first four teams out by Joe Lunardi, and the Blue Devils are a projected 1-seed. A loss for the Tar Heels, especially one as lopsided as the game at Cameron, could end the program's hopes of earning an at-large bid. For Duke, a loss could bump it off the 1-seed line.
The Duke and North Carolina rivalry and its electric atmosphere isn't going anywhere, but a great matchup on Saturday could bring fans back to the game they look forward to and love.