When North Carolina stole the head of Duke’s mascot last year, for many it was considered the ultimate rivalry gutpunch.
But this weekend, UNC will try to reclaim a more traditional symbol of the rivalry — the Victory Bell.
Last year, Duke claimed the Victory Bell for the first time since 2003 after beating UNC 33-30.
Rick Brewer, UNC’s sports information director emeritus, said the tradition was started in 1948 by Duke cheerleader Loring Jones and UNC cheerleader Norman Spear.
The bell, which was made from a railroad engine, is mounted on a cart, which the winning football team gets to paint either Carolina blue or Duke blue. UNC has owned the bell for 21 of the 23 last seasons.
Sophomore football fan Shelby Tanous said she wants the bell back on UNC’s turf.
“It shows that even though football isn’t as big as a sport at both of our schools as basketball, it shows that we do still have a rivalry,” she said.
Ryan Switzer, a freshman receiver, said winning back the bell means a lot to the team’s seniors especially.
“They’ve got the video of Duke spray painting it in our locker room right after the game on Saturday actually, so it’s a big deal for us,” he said. “They’ve got TVs in the weight room, in the training room, in the locker room, it gets old.
