Cheering on the sports team representing your state is an amazing feeling – especially when the team is doing well. North Carolina is no different! While there are only three professional sports teams in the state to rally behind, the surplus of Division One colleges in the state makes for some intense rivalries.
Sports is one of the few places where fans can come together and root for one similar team, but butt heads about another one. For this article 24/7 Tempo consulted different outside sources. These include NFL.com, NBA.com, and NHL.com. These are the most popular teams in North Carolina.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are one of the newest teams in the NFL and have already been to two Super Bowls. Jake Delhome led the Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. They would go on to lose on a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri. 12 years later, the Panthers faced the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50, where they would come up short in Peyton Manning’s final game. The Panthers recently took Bryce Young number one in the draft, with the hopes he can lead them to their first title.
Charlotte Hornets
Fans of the NBA love to buy Charlotte Hornets jerseys, thanks to how popular the retro look has become. However, that’s one of the only positives the Hornets have going. They’ve never been to an NBA Finals and have struggled to maintain prolonged amounts of success. The team has star players like LaMelo Ball and number two overall pick Brandon Miller, but still need to put everything together.
The recent sale of the team by NBA legend Michael Jordan might end up sparking the team in a new way. Steve Clifford is trying to coach these young players up, as the Hornets are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Once the Hornets figure it out, they’re going to be a force for a long time in the NBA.
Carolina Hurricanes
The most successful professional sports team in North Carolina is the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have been to two Stanley Cup Finals in 2002 and 2006. They ended up losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2002 Final, as they were capping off their fourth title in the past seven years. However, things changed after the 2004-2005 lockout.
The Hurricanes found themselves in the finals again, this time against the Edmonton Oilers. The series would go for seven antagonizing games, but Carolina came out on top. They did so with a 3-1 win in the series deciding game. The Hurricanes have proven to be one of the most stable and consistent franchises in hockey and should be back on top very soon.
Duke Blue Devils Basketball
College basketball in North Carolina is different, thanks to the Duke Blue Devils. The fierce rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels is arguably the most intense in all of sports. Only 11 miles separates the two campuses, and the fact that both teams are yearly title contenders helps.
Mike Krzyzewski brought the Blue Devils program from nothing into a national powerhouse, winning five championships during his Hall of Fame career coaching the Blue Devils. Jon Scheyer was groomed by Coach K to take the program over after he retired, which Scheyer appears to be doing with great elegance.
North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball
Producing arguably the greatest basketball player in history is an honor only North Carolina has. However, Michael Jordan as an alum of the program isn’t the only thing that makes the Tar Heels stand out. The program won six championships in school history, most recently in 2017.
Sadly, the team is also remembered for being the team Kris Jenkins hit his legendary game winning shot in the National Championship against. Hubert Davis is in his third season running the program after Roy Williams retired, and Davis has already been to one title game. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils rivalry is must watch television, but even when they don’t play, fans are sure to tune in.
North Carolina State Wolf Pack Basketball
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels aren’t the only championship winning programs in North Carolina. Before he gave his legendary ESPY speech, coach Jim Valvano led the Wolf Pack to the title in 1983. After the game, coach Valvano is remembered for running around the arena where he claims he was “Just looking for someone to hug.”
The Wolf Pack is a usual participant in the NCAA tournament. Every year, they do everything they can to make sure they’re also included in the Top 25 rankings of college basketball. On the topic of sports, click here to discover the 40 most shocking scandals of the sports world.