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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — Turns out rivals UNC and NC State will face each other twice in men’s basketball this season, but it won’t be a traditional home-and-home set.
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It was announced Wednesday that the two teams will play in a non-conference game at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro on Dec. 15. The matchup is billed as the Tobacco Road Classic presented by Old Dominion Freight Line.
The Tar Heels and Wolfpack were only scheduled to face off once in Atlantic Coast Conference play this season, with a matchup set to be held in Chapel Hill. Last season, the rivals also only played once, in Raleigh on Feb. 17. It was the first time since 1919 that the programs didn’t play twice in each other’s home arenas.
This year’s game will be the first time the two teams will square off in Greensboro since 1998. The rivals played each other 14 times at the Greensboro Coliseum from 1967 to 1998 — eight times in the Big Four Tournament (an annual event that also featured Duke and Wake Forest) and six times in the ACC Tournament.
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The Tobacco Road Classic will be at least a two-year event, with UNC and NC State returning to Greensboro for another clash during the 2027-28 season.
“UNC-NC State is one of the great rivalries in college basketball, and we’re thrilled to bring it to Greensboro,” Scott Johnson, general manager of First Horizon Coliseum, said in a news release. “The Tobacco Road Classic gives fans the opportunity to experience this historic matchup in a neutral site setting, and we’re grateful to the universities, athletic directors and coaches for making this game possible. We’re proud to welcome these two legendary programs back to Greensboro and add another chapter to this rivalry and the history of First Horizon Coliseum.”
Tickets for the game will go on sale to the regular public on Thursday, Sept. 10.
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