The North Carolina–NC State football rivalry is one of the oldest American college football rivalries which has been in existence since the 1890s. The rivalry is played between the University of North Carolina, called the North Carolina Tar Heels, and the North Carolina State University, known as the NC State Wolfpack. The two universities play in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The rivalry game between the two universities, popularly known as Battle for the Barrel, is held during the Thanksgiving week after every season.
North Carolina vs NC State Football Rivalry History
Known as one of the oldest and biggest rivalries in the history of American college football, the two universities, the North Carolina Tar Heels and the NC State Wolfpack, faced off against each other for the first time on October 12, 1894, with North Carolina winning it 44-0. The game between the two is held in either Chapel Hill or Raleigh except for twice in their history when it was played in Charlotte, North Carolina (1998 and 1999).
Both North Carolina and NC State were charter members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The ACC was founded in 1953, the year since the rivalry between the two has continued every year without being interrupted. Talking about the first 26 seasons in the ACC era, the series was tied at 13. The North Carolina team then went on to record a seven-game winning streak in 1979.
North Carolina vs NC State Rivalry Head-to-Head Stats
North Carolina and NC State have met each other 113 times so far. The head-to-head record is led by the University of North Carolina with a score of 68-39-6. NC State even won their latest contest on November 25, 2023, which ended 39-20. On the other hand, the Wolfpack have grabbed 6 of the previous 8 and 12 of the last 17 in the series.
| Stat | North Carolina | NC State |
| First Meeting | October 12, 1894 North Carolina, 44–0 | |
| Total Meetings | 113 | |
| All-Time Wins | 68 | 39 |
| Largest victory | - | NC State, 48–3 (1988) |
| Longest Win Streak | North Carolina, 9 (1943–1955) | - |
North Carolina vs NC State Winner Year-by-Year
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | October 12, 1894 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 44–0 |
| 2 | October 20, 1894 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 16–0 |
| 3 | October 12, 1895 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 36–0 |
| 4 | October 2, 1897 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 40–0 |
| 5 | October 15, 1898 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 34–0 |
| 6 | October 7, 1899 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 34–0 |
| 7 | October 28, 1899 | Raleigh, NC | Tie | 11–11 |
| 8 | October 16, 1901 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 39–0 |
| 9 | November 19, 1901 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 30–0 |
| 10 | November 8, 1902 | Raleigh, NC | Tie | 0–0 |
| 11 | November 16, 1904 | Chapel Hill, NC | Tie | 6–6 |
| 12 | November 12, 1905 | Raleigh, NC | Tie | 0–0 |
| 13 | October 23, 1919 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 13–12 |
| 14 | October 21, 1920 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 13–3 |
| 15 | October 20, 1921 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 7–0 |
| 16 | October 19, 1922 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 14–9 |
| 17 | October 18, 1923 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 14–0 |
| 18 | October 16, 1924 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 10–0 |
| 19 | October 15, 1925 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 17–6 |
| 20 | October 30, 1926 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 12–0 |
| 21 | October 29, 1927 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 19–6 |
| 22 | November 3, 1928 | Raleigh, NC | Tie | 6–6 |
| 23 | November 2, 1929 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 32–0 |
| 24 | November 7, 1930 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 13–6 |
| 25 | October 31, 1931 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 18–15 |
| 26 | October 29, 1932 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 13–0 |
| 27 | November 4, 1933 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 6–0 |
| 28 | October 27, 1934 | Chapel Hill, NC | Tie | 7–7 |
| 29 | November 2, 1935 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 35–6 |
| 30 | October 31, 1936 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 21–6 |
| 31 | October 2, 1937 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 20–0 |
| 32 | October 31, 1938 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 21–0 |
| 33 | November 4, 1939 | Chapel Hill, NC | #9 North Carolina | 17–0 |
| 34 | October 19, 1940 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 13–7 |
| 35 | November 1, 1941 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 13–7 |
| 36 | October 31, 1942 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 21–14 |
| 37 | October 30, 1943 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 27–13 |
| 38 | November 8, 1947 | Chapel Hill, NC | #18 North Carolina | 41–6 |
| 39 | October 16, 1948 | Chapel Hill, NC | #1 North Carolina | 14–0 |
| 40 | September 24, 1949 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 26–6 |
| 41 | September 23, 1950 | Chapel Hill, NC | #20 North Carolina | 13–7 |
| 42 | September 22, 1951 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 21–0 |
| 43 | September 26, 1953 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 29–7 |
| 44 | September 25, 1954 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 20–6 |
| 45 | October 1, 1955 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 25–18 |
| 46 | September 22, 1956 | Chapel Hill NC | NC State | 26–6 |
| 47 | September 21, 1957 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 7–0 |
| 48 | September 20, 1958 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 21–14 |
| 49 | October 3, 1959 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 20–12 |
| 50 | September 24, 1960 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 3–0 |
| 51 | September 30, 1961 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 27–22 |
| 52 | September 22, 1962 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 7–6 |
| 53 | October 19, 1963 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 31–10 |
| 54 | September 19, 1964 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 14–13 |
| 55 | October 9, 1965 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 10–7 |
| 56 | September 24, 1966 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 10–7 |
| 57 | September 16, 1967 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 13–7 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 58 | September 21, 1968 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 38–6 |
| 59 | September 20, 1969 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 10–3 |
| 60 | September 19, 1970 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 19–0 |
| 61 | October 2, 1971 | Raleigh, NC | #20 North Carolina | 27–7 |
| 62 | September 23, 1972 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 34–33 |
| 63 | October 6, 1973 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 28–26 |
| 64 | October 19, 1974 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 33–14 |
| 65 | October 18, 1975 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 21–20 |
| 66 | October 16, 1976 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 21–13 |
| 67 | October 15, 1977 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 27–14 |
| 68 | October 21, 1978 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 34–7 |
| 69 | October 20, 1979 | Raleigh, NC | #19 North Carolina | 35–21 |
| 70 | October 18, 1980 | Chapel Hill, NC | #8 North Carolina | 28–8 |
| 71 | October 17, 1981 | Raleigh, NC | #4 North Carolina | 21–10 |
| 72 | October 16, 1982 | Chapel Hill, NC | #11 North Carolina | 41–9 |
| 73 | October 15, 1983 | Raleigh, NC | #3 North Carolina | 42–14 |
| 74 | October 20, 1984 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 28–21 |
| 75 | October 19, 1985 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 21–14 |
| 76 | October 18, 1986 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 35–34 |
| 77 | October 17, 1987 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 17–14 |
| 78 | October 15, 1988 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 48–3 |
| 79 | September 23, 1989 | Raleigh, NC | #18 NC State | 40–6 |
| 80 | September 29, 1990 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 12–9 |
| 81 | September 28, 1991 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 24–7 |
| 82 | September 26, 1992 | Chapel Hill, NC | #23 NC State | 27–20 |
| 83 | September 25, 1993 | Raleigh, NC | #18 North Carolina | 35–14 |
| 84 | October 29, 1994 | Chapel Hill, NC | #24 North Carolina | 31–17 |
| 85 | November 24, 1995 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 30–28 |
| 86 | November 2, 1996 | Chapel Hill, NC | #8 North Carolina | 52–20 |
| 87 | October 18, 1997 | Raleigh, NC | #4 North Carolina | 20–7 |
| 88 | November 28, 1998 | Charlotte, NC | North Carolina | 37–34OT |
| 89 | November 11, 1999 | Charlotte, NC | North Carolina | 10–6 |
| 90 | October 14, 2000 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 38–20 |
| 91 | September 29, 2001 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 17–9 |
| 92 | October 12, 2002 | Chapel Hill, NC | #14 NC State | 34–17 |
| 93 | September 27, 2003 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 47–34 |
| 94 | October 9, 2004 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 30–24 |
| 95 | September 24, 2005 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 31–24 |
| 96 | November 18, 2006 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 23–9 |
| 97 | November 10, 2007 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 31–27 |
| 98 | November 22, 2008 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 41–10 |
| 99 | November 28, 2009 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 28–27 |
| 100 | November 20, 2010 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 29–25 |
| 101 | November 5, 2011 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 13–0 |
| 102 | October 27, 2012 | Chapel Hill, NC | North Carolina | 43–35 |
| 103 | November 2, 2013 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 27–19 |
| 104 | November 29, 2014 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 35–7 |
| 105 | November 28, 2015 | Raleigh, NC | #14 North Carolina | 45–34 |
| 106 | November 25, 2016 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 28–21 |
| 107 | November 25, 2017 | Raleigh, NC | NC State | 33–21 |
| 108 | November 24, 2018 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 34–28 |
| 109 | November 30, 2019 | Raleigh, NC | North Carolina | 41–10 |
| 110 | October 24, 2020 | Chapel Hill, NC | #14 North Carolina | 48–21 |
| 111 | November 26, 2021 | Raleigh, NC | #20 NC State | 34–30 |
| 112 | November 25, 2022 | Chapel Hill, NC | NC State | 30–272OT |
| 113 | November 25, 2023 | Raleigh, NC | #22 NC State | 39–20 |
FAQ's on North Carolina vs NC State Football Rivalry
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A. Yes. North Carolina and NC State are known as one of the oldest rivals in the history of American college football.
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A. NC State is one of the football rivals of Carolina.
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The UNC vs NC State rivalry is called Battle for the Barrel.
