South's Oldest Rivalry
Sport | Football and Basketball |
---|---|
First meeting | October 22, 1892 Virginia 30, North Carolina 18 |
Latest meeting | October 21, 2023 Virginia 31, North Carolina 27 |
Next meeting | October 26, 2024 |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 128 |
All-time series | North Carolina leads, 65–59–4[a] |
Largest victory | Virginia 66, North Carolina 0 (November 26, 1912) |
Longest win streak | North Carolina, 9 (1974–1982) |
Current win streak | Virginia, 1 (2023–present) |
The South's Oldest Rivalry is the name given to the North Carolina–Virginia football rivalry.
The South's Oldest Rivalry is not actually the "oldest" rivalry, as the Auburn–Georgia series (Deep South's Oldest Rivalry) played its first game 245 days before the first North Carolina-Virginia matchup.[8] But nonetheless it is so named not only because of the extraordinary age and length of the series, but because of the immense early success of both programs and the great regional importance of their earliest games: between 1889 and 1902, either Virginia or North Carolina claimed a southern championship in twelve out of fourteen years.
The preeminence of this rivalry in early southern football is demonstrated by the fact that North Carolina beat both Georgia and Auburn in their own states by the combined score of 82–0, before edging out Virginia by four points and claiming the 1898 southern championship. When Virginia had first played one of those "Deep South" teams the year prior, a Georgia fullback died in Atlanta. Virginia had the upper hand overall in the early rivalry with North Carolina, and therefore the entire region, claiming no fewer than twelve southern championships through 1908. The game was still considered a regional attraction in 1928, with a sitting President and First Lady making the eight-hour round trip from the White House to attend the sold-out rivalry game in Charlottesville on that Thanksgiving Day.
The South's Oldest Rivalry started 1–1 after playing twice in 1892 (once in Atlanta). All games played between 1893 and 1916 were at "neutral site" locations in the Commonwealth of Virginia – Richmond and Norfolk – but after a two-year hiatus for World War I, the two programs have played every year since 1919 and have alternated between their home stadiums in Chapel Hill (at Kenan Memorial Stadium since 1927) and Charlottesville (at Scott Stadium since 1931) except for two games during World War II that were played in Norfolk, VA (1943, 1944). Between 1910 and 1950, the South's Oldest Rivalry was consistently played as the last game of the season for both programs, and nearly always on Thanksgiving Day.
Virginia–Carolina is, as of 2021, tied with the Georgia–Auburn game as the
Series history
Long being the most played game among all
The game was first twice played in 1892 (
Among ACC rivalries, both programs of the South's Oldest Rivalry actually played against Trinity and Wake Forest years before playing against each other. North Carolina first played (and lost to) Trinity in 1888, after also losing against Wake Forest. Virginia first played and defeated Wake Forest in 1889, and first played and defeated Trinity in 1890. Trinity, in particular, played both Carolina and Virginia annually or close to it through 1894. However, Trinity abandoned the sport of football entirely between 1895 and 1919, as Wake did likewise from 1895 through 1907.[10] Trinity renamed itself Duke University in 1924, two years after the Blue Devils became an annual rival of the Tar Heels. Wake Forest also was an annual rival of Carolina between 1908 and 2003 (after which, ACC realignment matched them more sporadically). In contrast, Virginia did not play Duke and Wake Forest regularly again until 1951 and 1955, respectively.
The Virginia–Carolina rivalry reached its modern
In 2010, UNC broke a long losing streak in Charlottesville, UNC's first road win in the series since 1981. It ended what many UNC fans mockingly described as the "Charlottesville Curse" which lasted one year short of three decades. UVA led the overall series from 1893 to 1944, but UNC has since led from 1945 onward. Virginia closed to within two games in 2009 (or a tie if including the 1956 forfeit) but UNC then proceeded to win seven games in a row (2010–2016) as the Tar Heels went undefeated in the rivalry during the entire Virginia tenure of Mike London. Notwithstanding that extended losing streak, as of 2023 Virginia is 25–15–1 in the rivalry since 1983.
Nature of the rivalry
There is considerable historical lineage and academic standing between the two universities involved. The University of Virginia was founded by third President of the United States and founding father
When the 1985 Richard Moll book was published listing the original eight "
The rivalry was often called a "Gentlemen's Rivalry," a moniker dating back to the early 20th century, and often used by the media going back to the early-mid 20th century. One reason for this moniker is the prestigious image, both academically and socially, of both universities throughout the region. The institutions' student bodies also tend to somewhat mirror one another from a social and academic standpoint.[citation needed]
Contributing factors
Famous spectators
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Coolidge_after_signing_indian_treaty.jpg/220px-Coolidge_after_signing_indian_treaty.jpg)
Probably the most famous spectator of this rivalry was present on Thanksgiving Day in 1928. Sitting President of the United States Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge were among the full capacity of 20,000 spectators to watch this rivalry game in Charlottesville. They were not graduates of either university (he had attended Amherst College and she the University of Vermont) but came purely out of interest. North Carolina won narrowly, 24–20, over Virginia in the eighth consecutive game in the series to be decided by a single touchdown or less. It was one of the last of these rivalry games played at Lambeth Field, as Scott Stadium was constructed in 1931 to accommodate more spectators.[12] Coolidge had declined to run for a second term, and just sixteen days before the game Coolidge's Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, had won the 1928 presidential election to replace him.
"Benedict Ronald"
Often considered the best high school football player of all time from the state of Virginia,[13] and the only junior ever to be named the nation's top high school quarterback by USA Today, Ronald Curry announced a verbal commitment to George Welsh's Virginia program on September 4, 1997, during ESPN coverage of that night's game between Virginia and Auburn.[14] With the commitment from Curry, Welsh declined to recruit Michael Vick, whose own stellar career in the same high school district was largely overshadowed by Curry's. While Curry's high school football coach, 12-time state champion Mike Smith, was happy that Curry would attend Virginia, Curry's AAU basketball coach Boo Williams told Curry he should decommit and go to a "basketball school" like North Carolina to get a better shot at the NBA.[15]
Curry decommitted from Virginia on signing day, causing him to be called "Benedict Ronald" and "Benedict Curry" by the Virginia faithful who blamed him not only for the program losing out on his own services, but for losing out on the unrecruited Vick. Curry was lampooned in the media, earning the title "Sports Jerk of the Year" in the nationally syndicated Tank McNamara comic strip.
At North Carolina, Curry did not become the dominant college football player that many had expected him to be but still set UNC records including most career passing yards and most career total yards. Curry played basketball for two seasons at UNC and started at point guard.[16]
He was drafted by the
Game results
North Carolina victories | Virginia victories | Tie games | Forfeits |
|
- ^* In 1956, North Carolina forfeited this game due to using an ineligible player.[1] However, UNC and various other sources today count the game as a win.
Other sports
Virginia and North Carolina have won NCAA Championships in numerous sports other than football. In three particular men's sports they have established heated rivalries, and in each of these sports both sides have won one or more NCAA Championships. As of October 2019, a total of 28 national titles have been won between these two rivals in men's basketball, men's lacrosse, and men's soccer. Moreover, all six programs of the rivalries below have had great success not only historically but also recently: every program involved has won at least one NCAA Championship in the 2010s.
Men's basketball
Both North Carolina and Virginia have NCAA Championship programs in men's basketball. Carolina's Hubert Davis holds a 3–2 edge against UVA's Tony Bennett as of 2023. Carolina leads the overall series 131–57[19] as of the same date. Carolina has won seven national championships--six NCAA Championships (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017) and one national championship that predates the NCAA (1924). Virginia has won one NCAA Championship (2019), for a total of eight national titles between the two programs. Carolina defeated Virginia in the Championship Game of the 2016 ACC tournament, and went on to win the 2017 NCAA tournament the following year. Returning the favor, Virginia defeated Carolina in the Championship Game of the 2018 ACC tournament, and went on to win the 2019 NCAA tournament the following year.
Men's lacrosse
Both Virginia and North Carolina have NCAA Championship programs in men's lacrosse. Virginia leads the overall series 30–21 as of 2020.[20] Virginia has won seven NCAA Championships (1972, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2021) and Carolina has won five NCAA Championships (1981, 1982, 1986, 1991, 2016). Virginia also has two national championships (1952, 1970) which predate NCAA oversight, for a total of fourteen national titles between the two programs.
Men's soccer
Both Virginia and North Carolina have NCAA Championship programs in men's soccer. As of 2019, North Carolina leads Virginia 40–36–10 across all men's soccer competitions.[21] However, Virginia has won seven NCAA Championships (1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2009, and 2014) while North Carolina has won two NCAA Championships (2001, 2011) for a total of nine national titles between the two programs.
See also
- List of NCAA college football rivalry games
- List of most-played college football series in NCAA Division I
Notes
- ^ In December 1956, North Carolina officials formally forfeited the 1956 game to Virginia for using an ineligible player.[1][2][3][4] The UNC athletic department does not acknowledge the forfeit when reporting on the result, and chooses instead to now count the game as a UNC win, as do many other modern sources.[5]
1Virginia won the first game played in 1892.
2North Carolina won the second game played in 1892.
References
- ^ a b "N.C. Team Forfeits 9 Football Games". The New York Times. December 18, 1956. p. 53.
- ^ "Wahoos Play Host to No. 18/22 UNC Saturday – University of Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site". VirginiaSports.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ Jon Blau, Penn State Daily Collegian, "Forfeits uncommon in realm of college sports" Archived February 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sports Illustrated, 1957 Football Issue, September 23, 1957
- ^ [1] Archived October 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Carolina and Virginia Renew South's Oldest Rivalry Saturday".
- ^ "Virginia, North Carolina Square off in the South's Oldest Rivalry". September 12, 2011.
- ^ "Time to drop the 'Deep' — Auburn vs. Georgia is the entire south's oldest continual rivalry". www.thewareaglereader.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- ^ "Trinity College To Have Football Season". Winstom-Salem Journal. July 25, 1920.
- UCLA. UNC then trails only the University of Michiganfor fourth nationwide.
- ^ O'Neals (1968) Pictorial History of the University of Virginia. Charlottesville, Virginia: University Press of Virginia (p. 154)
- ^ "The Amazing Ronald Curry". Dave Sez. August 12, 2004. Archived from the original on October 16, 2004. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ "Virginia Won Big Before It Took The Field"; Richmond Times – Dispatch – Richmond, Va.; Bob Lipper; September 5, 1997; Page D1
- ^ Ronald Curry Has All the Moves; The Washington Post – Washington, D.C.; Angie Watts; April 8, 1998; page C1
- ^ "Ronald Curry – Men's Basketball". University of North Carolina Athletics. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^ "NFL Draft History: Full Draft Year". NFL.com. NFL. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^ "Ronald Curry". www.neworleanssaints.com. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^ [2], accessed October 22, 2018; record updated December 8, 2019
- ^ "#8 Men's Soccer – Seminfinals vs. #5 Maryland". December 13, 2013.
- ^ "Series History by ACC Opponent" (PDF). static.virginiasports.com. Retrieved February 22, 2019.