The rivalry between the Duke Blue Devils (18-2, 10-0 ACC) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (13-9, 6-4 ACC) is the best the sport of college basketball has to offer. From wild endings, to miraculous shots, to some of the greatest college basketball players ever going head-to-head throughout this rivalry's history, there is no more hyped up evening in the college basketball season than when the Blue Devils take on the Tar Heels.
But, one ESPN analyst urges fans to cherish what this rivalry is and what fans and all those around the sport of college basketball are treated to every year, as it is uncertain just how many more of these games there will be, at least in an in-conference setting.
Jay Williams, former Duke basketball great and current ESPN college basketball analyst, spoke on this on ESPN College GameDay, which held its show in Durham today for the 14th time ahead of the Duke/UNC matchup tonight at 6:30pm ET on ESPN.
"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."
Now, there is no standing on this and there is no formal process currently occurring that would insinuate North Carolina joining the Big 10, but Williams did keep reiterating the fact that we must continue to cherish this coveted matchup we get to see every season, as it is unsure how many more seasons it will go on.
The reason the Tar Heels moving to the Big 10 would hurt this rivalry so much is that it would mean Duke and North Carolina would no longer play twice a season, and would obviously never play in-conference against one another again.
This would make it difficult to even have one game each year between Duke and UNC, at least at Cameron Indoor Stadium or Dean Smith Center. If North Carolina were to join the Big 10, Duke and North Carolina would likely have to agree to some sort of home-and-home deal that would have one game at either Duke or Carolina one season, and the next season have the one game at the other arena.
And then just do that forever, I guess?
Again, there is no official word UNC is even thinking about joining the Big 10 or leaving the ACC at all, but Williams made it a repeated point to urge fans to appreciate what they have in front of them right now.