Two of men’s basketball’s most storied programs, UNC and the University of Kentucky, will thankfully resume their series when the two meet in Chapel Hill next season.
This season is the first time the two have not played since the 1999-2000 season. UNC and Kentucky would do well to avoid any further interruptions for the sake of college basketball fans everywhere.
In an age of NCAA super conferences where traditional rivalries have largely been tossed aside in favor of money and TV contracts, it is refreshing to see the Tar Heels and Wildcats resolve to resurrect a special tradition that has seen the Tar Heels win 22 of the 35 meetings.
UNC and UK have racked up 33 trips to the Final Four and 13 national championship banners between them. And it’s great for college basketball to have these two giants do battle each year. Not to mention the fact that it brings immense national exposure to both schools.
The resumption of this rivalry helps to offset the effect of the movement in the NCAA towards mega-conferences that only break down the tradition and pageantry that makes college athletics in this nation so appealing.
Too many long-running series like Texas-Texas A&M and Maryland-Duke have been imperilled by realignment.
At least for the next two years, the UNC-UK game will continue on and maybe even serve as an example for other classic rivalries seeking to reemerge.
