247: NC State vs. UNC is the #10 Most-Heated Rivalry Heading into the 2024 College Football Season

Grant Hughes of 247Sports ranked College Football’s Top-15 Most-Heated Rivalries heading into the 2024 season that is right around the corner. The rivalry between NC State and UNC ranked 10th.

UNC-Duke is considered the second-greatest rivalry in all of college sports. However, on the gridiron, no team gets the Tar Heels’ blood to boil quite like the Wolfpack. UNC leads the all-time rivalry 68-39-6, but has lost three straight. Former UNC quarterback Drake Maye stoked rivalry flames in 2022, stating: “People who go to State just can’t get into Carolina.” NC State took the statement to heart and upset UNC, 30-27, in Chapel Hill later that season. “They don’t like us; we hate them,” NC State head coach Dave Doeren said after the game. “We’re blue-collar; they’re elitist.” 

Bad blood flowed into last season’s 39-20 Wolfpack win. “If you want to have culture, come to Raleigh,” NC State linebacker Peyton Wilson told sideline reporters. “Them boys in blue don’t know about it.”

(247)

NC State has won three straight against the Tar Heels, and 7 of the last 11.