North Carolina–South Carolina football rivalry

The North Carolina–South Carolina football rivalry, also known as the Battle of the Carolinas, is an American college football rivalry between the North Carolina Tar Heels football team of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and South Carolina Gamecocks football team of the University of South Carolina. North Carolina leads the series 36–20–4 through the 2023 season. North Carolina won 29 of the first 40 games in the series; however South Carolina has led the series 13–7 since beating the Tar Heels in 1967.^[2]

North Carolina–South Carolina football rivalry

North Carolina Tar Heels South Carolina Gamecocks
First meeting	October 10, 1903 North Carolina, 17–0
Latest meeting	September 2, 2023 North Carolina, 31–17
Next meeting	September 2, 2028
Statistics
Meetings total	60
All-time series	North Carolina leads, 36–20–4[1]
Largest victory	North Carolina, 48–0 (1914)
Longest win streak	North Carolina, 5 (1903–1911) South Carolina, 5 (1967–1974)
Current win streak	North Carolina, 1 (2023)

150km
100miles

South Carolina

North Carolina

  

Locations of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Series history

The series started in 1903 with a win for North Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. This began the Tarheels’ longest win streak which ended in 1911, tied with South Carolina for five games. The Gamecock’s longest win streak began in 1967 and ended in 1974, after which South Carolina leads the matchup with the majority of North Carolina’s wins in this series coming from the earlier decades of the matchup. The teams most met most recently in 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina for College GameDay with North Carolina winning 31–17. Both schools announced a home and home series for the years 2028 and 2029. The Tar Heels will travel to Columbia, South Carolina in 2028, and The Gamecocks will play in Chapel Hill, North Carolina the following year. ^[3]

Geography

Being close geographically, both teams compete for recruits on an annual basis. North Carolina has pulled players such as Robert Quinn and Quinshad Davis out of South Carolina in recent years. South Carolina has done the same by recruiting Larenz Bryant and Connor Mitch from North Carolina. Proximity also plays a role because in some areas of the two states there are significant populations of fans for each team. For example, Charlotte, North Carolina is closer to Columbia than Chapel Hill. Location can lead to ". . .families with Gamecocks and Tar Heels split down the middle. Couples where the man bleeds Carolina Blue, and the woman is all about the Garnet and Black. The fight, when it is present, is very real."^[4]

The usage of "Carolina"

Both North and South Carolina make use of "Carolina" as a moniker. From 1999 to 2004, North Carolina had "Carolina Tar Heels" written on its interlocking N and C logo. South Carolina uses only a "C", which is used to start the title "Carolina". The official color of UNC is "Carolina Blue", which is an officially licensed color. Both schools use end zones painted with the title "Carolina" and "Tar Heels" or "Gamecocks" across them. Both schools use the script "Carolina" on a number of their sports uniforms. Both have the moniker trademarked.^[5][6]

North Carolina fans argue that it was the first public university in America, and claimed the nickname first. Also, the Province of Carolina was founded in what is modern day North Carolina.^[7][8]

South Carolina fans argue that South Carolina became a state first^[9] as well as the fact that the principal seat of government of the Province of Carolina was located in Charles Town, now modern day Charleston, South Carolina.

Both schools have referred to themselves as simply "Carolina", even when playing each other.^{[citation needed]}

Gamecocks leave the ACC

North Carolina and South Carolina spent 49 years in the same athletic conferences, first in the Southern Conference and later in the Atlantic Coast Conference, until the Gamecocks left the ACC to become independent in 1971. The reason for South Carolina's departure was how much control and influence UNC and the other North Carolina schools had on the ACC and former North Carolina turned Gamecock basketball coach Frank McGuire's displeasure with conference officials who he felt were biased in favor of the "Tobacco Road" schools. ^[10]

Game results

North Carolina victories

South Carolina victories

Tie games

No. Date Location Winning team Losing team 1 October 10, 1903 Columbia, SC North Carolina 17 South Carolina 0 2 October 15, 1904 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 27 South Carolina 0 3 November 18, 1908 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 22 South Carolina 0 4 November 19, 1910 Durham, NC North Carolina 27 South Carolina 6 5 November 11, 1911 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 21 South Carolina 0 6 November 9, 1912 Chapel Hill, NC Tie 6 Tie 6 7 October 10, 1913 Columbia, SC North Carolina 13 South Carolina 3 8 October 12, 1914 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 48 South Carolina 0 9 October 16, 1920 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 7 South Carolina 0 10 October 15, 1921 Columbia, SC Tie 7 Tie 7 11 October 14, 1922 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 10 South Carolina 7 12 November 3, 1923 Columbia, SC North Carolina 13 South Carolina 0 13 November 1, 1924 Columbia, SC South Carolina 10 North Carolina 7 14 October 3, 1925 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 7 South Carolina 0 15 October 9, 1926 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 7 South Carolina 0 16 October 15, 1927 Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina 14 North Carolina 6 17 November 10, 1928 Columbia, SC Tie 0 Tie 0 18 November 19, 1929 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 40 South Carolina 0 19 November 21, 1936 Columbia, SC North Carolina 14 South Carolina 0 20 September 25, 1937 Chapel Hill, NC Tie 13 Tie 13 21 September 27, 1941 Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina 13 North Carolina 7[11] 22 October 3, 1942 Columbia, SC North Carolina 13 South Carolina 7 23 November 6, 1943 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 21 South Carolina 6 24 November 4, 1944 Columbia, SC South Carolina 6 North Carolina 0 25 October 8, 1949 Chapel Hill, NC #6 North Carolina 28 South Carolina 13 26 November 18, 1950 Columbia, SC North Carolina 14 South Carolina 7 27 October 13, 1951 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 21 South Carolina 6 28 November 15, 1952 Columbia, SC North Carolina 27 South Carolina 19 29 November 7, 1953 Columbia, SC South Carolina 18 North Carolina 0 30 November 6, 1954 Columbia, SC North Carolina 21 South Carolina 19 31 November 5, 1955 Norfolk, VA North Carolina 32 South Carolina 14 No. Date Location Winning team Losing team 32 October 6, 1956 Columbia, SC South Carolina 14 North Carolina 0 33 November 9, 1957 Columbia, SC North Carolina 28 South Carolina 6 34 October 11, 1958 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 6 South Carolina 0 35 October 10, 1959 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 19 #11 South Carolina 6 36 October 22, 1960 Columbia, SC South Carolina 22 North Carolina 6 37 October 21, 1961 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 17 South Carolina 0 38 October 20, 1962 Columbia, SC North Carolina 19 South Carolina 14 39 October 26, 1963 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 7 South Carolina 0 40 October 24, 1964 Columbia, SC North Carolina 24 South Carolina 6 41 September 23, 1967 Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina 16 North Carolina 10 42 September 28, 1968 Columbia, SC South Carolina 32 North Carolina 27 43 September 27, 1969 Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina 14 North Carolina 6 44 October 10, 1970 Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina 35 #18 North Carolina 21 45 October 26, 1974 Columbia, SC South Carolina 31 North Carolina 23 46 October 22, 1977 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 17 South Carolina 0 47 October 28, 1978 Columbia, SC North Carolina 24 South Carolina 22 48 September 8, 1979 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 28 South Carolina 0 49 October 24, 1981 Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina 31 #3 North Carolina 13 50 September 3, 1983 Columbia, SC #11 North Carolina 24 South Carolina 8 51 September 3, 1988 Columbia, SC #19 South Carolina 31 North Carolina 10 52 November 11, 1989 Chapel Hill, NC South Carolina 27 North Carolina 20 53 September 8, 1990 Columbia, SC South Carolina 27 North Carolina 5 54 November 16, 1991 Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina 21 South Carolina 17 55 October 3, 2007 Chapel Hill, NC #7 South Carolina 21 North Carolina 15 56 August 29, 2013 Columbia, SC #6 South Carolina 27 North Carolina 10 57 September 3, 2015 Charlotte, NC South Carolina 17 North Carolina 13 58 August 31, 2019 Charlotte, NC North Carolina 24 South Carolina 20 59 December 30, 2021 Charlotte, NC South Carolina 38 North Carolina 21 60 September 2, 2023 Charlotte, NC #21 North Carolina 31 South Carolina 17 Series: North Carolina leads 36–20–4[1]

See also

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games

References

1. "Winsipedia – North Carolina Tar Heels vs. South Carolina Gamecocks football series history". Winsipedia.
2. "Winsipedia – North Carolina Tar Heels vs. South Carolina Gamecocks football series history". Winsipedia.
3. "Gamecocks, Tar Heels add football series to future schedules — and not at neutral site". The State.
4. Felder, Michael. "The Carolina Rivalry Nobody Notices". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
5. "University of South Carolina". www.sc.edu. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
6. "The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -". The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
7. "Maisel: I-Formation – College Football – ESPN". ESPN. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
8. Medley, Mary-louise (1976). History of Anson County, North Carolina, 1750–1976. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company. ISBN 9780806347554.
9. "South Carolina - U.S. States - HISTORY.com". HISTORY.com. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
10. "Spats Caused S.c. To Split From Acc". Retrieved August 19, 2015.
11. News and Observer, September 28, 1941