PHILADELPHIA -- North Carolina and Duke have played each other 257 times since 1920. They've played in thunderclap matchups of No. 1 vs. No. 2, battled frequently in the ACC tournament and even once in the 1971 NIT semifinals.
The 258th matchup will be the first one to ever take place in the NCAA Tournament, a cosmic collision seemingly swiped from Tobacco Road fan fiction. North Carolina and Duke are located eight miles apart and have combined for 248 NCAA tournament wins, but their meeting in the Final Four in New Orleans will come with the highest stakes in the rivalry's storied history.