Former players created a tunnel from one corner of the baseline to midcourt, and the audience exploded as Krzyzewski was named. The 75-year-old, who coached his first game here in November 1980, made his way through the phalanx of former players, patting their chests, bumping fists, or giving hugs. Numerous people held their smartphones up, capturing the scene for posterity. After Krzyzewski reached the end of the line, the group regrouped at midcourt for a family reunion photograph.
Under Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils entered 572-75 all-time at Cameron Indoor, and Saturday was the 257th meeting between Duke and North Carolina.
Beyond nostalgia, the game has no meaning. Duke has won the ACC regular-season championship outright for the 13th time under Krzyzewski and will be the No. 1 seed in next week's ACC tournament.
After 42 years and five national titles, Krzyzewski, 75, will retire from coaching after the end of the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.
Duke Blue Devils supporters display a placard honoring Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski during the first half versus North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Together, the two schools have won 11 national titles, with North Carolina dominating Duke by a margin of 6â5. The closeness of the two colleges, which are just 10 miles apart along US Highway 15501 (also known as Tobacco Road) or eight miles away in straight line distance in the cities of Durham and Chapel Hill, intensifies the rivalry. [77] [78] Additionally, Duke is a private institution, while North Carolina is a public school; the two schools' widely different financial systems and cultures contribute to the rivalry's intensity. [79] Will Blythe, a former Esquire editor and novelist (as well as a North Carolina graduate), says that the rivalry's fervor is mostly due to class and culture in the South.
