Greensboro revives its role as hoops ‘Tournament Town’

Basketball memories in Greensboro, N.C., will be overflowing come Dec. 15 when the men’s hoops teams from University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University tangle on a neutral but familiar court in Greensboro.

 

Old-timers remember when Greensboro was first dubbed “Tournament Town,” having hosted its first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) men’s tournament in 1967. 

The league has now played 72 ACC tournaments, and 28 of them have been played in Greensboro, making the city the “preferred ACC tournament site.” (The tournament returns to Greensboro in 2027 and 2029.)

Adding to all this “Tournament Town” talk, Greensboro also was the venue for the popular Big Four Tournament from 1971-81, featuring the four ACC teams from North Carolina – Carolina, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest. The tournament was always held before Christmas, and these contests were classified as “nonconference games.”

 

The Big Four tournament came to an end in 1981, when participating schools and their coaches decided that the extra stress and tension associated with playing two of their “top conference rivals a third time each season outweighed their share of the gate and media revenues and substantial fan interest.”

Interestingly, the record book shows that Wake won the most Big Four titles (4), while Duke had the worst overall record (9-13).

Although the UNC v. NC State game that is coming up on Dec. 15 is also regarded as a “nonconference game,” there’s already a buzz about the “event,” marketed as the “Tobacco Road Classic,” stirring up the competitive juices. 

Over the years, the two teams have met 14 times on the court in Greensboro, with the Tar Heels holding a 10-4 series edge over the Wolfpack.

The last time the teams played each other in Greensboro was in the 1998 ACC Tournament, with Carolina scoring a lopsided 73-46 victory on its path to the tournament title. 

Notable players on Coach Bill Guthridge’s squad were Antawn Jamison, Shammond Williams, Vince Carter, Ed Cota and Ademola Okulaja.

 

That Wolfpack club was coached by Herb Sendek. Players included Clint Harrison, Ishua Benjamin, Kenny Inge, Archie Miller and Justin Gainey.

 

Justin Gainey, right, and teammate Clifford Crawford

                                                                                   

A native of High Point, N.C., Gainey, played point guard at NC State from 1996-2000 and was team captain during his senior year.

Gainey will lead the Wolfpack onto the court again in a few months, this time as the team’s new head coach. He previously served as the associate head coach at Tennessee.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been inside (what is now known as First Horizon Coliseum),” Gainey said. “I’m so excited that we were able to put this game together. From my side of things and from NC State’s, this is going to be a special moment.”

“It’s an honor to be playing this game. I know we would love to be doing it within ACC play, but man, what an opportunity to come back to ‘Tournament Town,’ to come home and play this game.”

 

The Tar Heels also have a new head coach, Michael Malone. 

Born in New York City, Malone played point guard at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. 

He has an extensive resume as a head coach in the National Basketball Association with the Sacramento Kings and the Denver Nuggets. He won an NBA championship at Denver in 2023.

“The ACC and college basketball have been part of the fabric of this community for generations,” said Richard Beard, president of the Greensboro Sports Foundation. 

“Having rivals UNC and NC State meet here in the regular season for the first time in more than four decades is a great addition to Greensboro’s basketball legacy.”

Men’s basketball: UNC v. N.C. State set to play on Dec. 15

Just like old times: the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University will be playing a men’s college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., this year. The date is set for Dec. 15. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

The seating capacity is 22,000, and tickets go on sale to the public on Sept. 10. (Arrangements to televise the game are pending.)

Officially, the matchup is a “nonconference game” between the two Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foes. 

The respective athletic departments put the game together because league schedulers have sadly eliminated the traditional home-and-home series between the long-time, in-state rivals.

The only regular conference game during this upcoming season between the UNC Tar Heels and the NC State Wolfpack will be played in Chapel Hill. (The ACC will announce its full calendar of games in September.)

With 18 teams now competing in the ACC, and with the regular season consisting of just 18 conference games, it’s become a scheduling nightmare.

Consider this: UNC plays its “partner teams” twice – Duke and Louisville – but doesn’t play Clemson. 

NC State plays its “partner teams” twice – Wake Forest and California – but doesn’t play Syracuse. 

Do the “match makers” need a lesson in geography?

Deserving more respect are the six ACC institutions that have been a part of the league since its very beginning in 1953: 

Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Wake Forest. 

They should always play each other during the season, and ideally twice.

We could go on and on about how ACC basketball “ain’t what it used to be,” ruined by expansion of the league that was driven by greed associated with college football and so forth.

The last time Carolina and NC State met on the hardwood for a nonconference game in Greensboro was in 1979. UNC won 97-84.

Noteworthy players from those teams included Al Wood, Mike O’Koren, James Worthy, Rich Yonakor and Jimmy Black in their Carolina jerseys. The team was coached by Dean Smith.

Al Wood

Mike O'Koren

Coach Smith with key players Jimmy Black and James Worthy in the background.

Wolfpack players in 1979 included Charles “Hawkeye” Whitney, Sidney Lowe, Thurl Bailey, Chuck Nevitt and Clyde “The Glide” Austin. The coach was Norm Sloan. 

“Hawkeye” Whitney

 

Clyde “The Glide”

Coach Sloan

The 2026 UNC v. N.C. State game is being promoted as the “Tobacco Road Classic presented by Old Dominion Freight Line.”

 

The Old Dominion trucking company was founded in 1934 in Richmond, Va., but its headquarters moved to High Point, N.C., in 1962. 

Old Dominion relocated its offices into a new building that was constructed nearby in Thomasville, N.C., in 2003.

 

Chip Overbey, an Old Dominion corporate executive, said: “Few rivalries in college sports carry the history, passion and pride of UNC v. NC State. The Tobacco Road Classic brings that tradition center stage and gives fans an opportunity to experience…college basketball in a new and exciting way. We’re incredibly proud to be part of this event that celebrates these two historic schools as their drive for excellence aligns with our winning culture at OD.”

 

No stranger to college sports, Old Dominion partners with mascots from 44 universities – including Carolina’s “Rameses” the ram and the Wolfpack’s “Mr. Wuf” – who appear in Old Dominion commercials that are aired during the fall on ESPN’s popular “College GameDay” football show. Old Dominion is a major sponsor.

 

The program is hosted by Rece Davis and features analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and others.

 

Basketball fans should take note, the Greensboro Coliseum is now called First Horizon Coliseum, as naming rights were obtained by First Horizon Corp. of Memphis, Tenn., in 2024.

 

The financial services company has $84.4 billion in assets and operates banks in 12 states, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

Dr Pepper’s ‘Fansville’ water tower will be in Norman, Okla.

College football season will soon be here, and fans are in for a treat when the Dr Pepper brand of soft drinks rolls out “Season 9” of its popular “Fansville” series of television commercials.

 

Keurig Dr Pepper – and its Los Angeles-based advertising agency Deutsch – are keyed up for the start of the 2026 season, with the first games being televised on Saturday, Aug. 29.

A pair of North Carolina teams are in action that day. The University of North Carolina tangles with Texas Christian University in Dublin, Ireland, at 9 a.m., and N.C. State plays at Virginia at 12:30 p.m. Both games are scheduled to air on the ESPN network.

 

Fansville is a mythical town where nothing’s more revered than college football…and everyone drinks Dr Pepper. The campaign has helped cement the Dr Pepper soft drink brand as one of the premier sponsors of college football.

Coincidentally, the Dr Pepper brand has vaulted into second place in overall sales, surpassing Pepsi. Coca-Cola continues to lead in market share.

During Dr Pepper’s “Season 9” campaign, the plot thickens as the tailgate grill master (played by actor Jay Reeves) is accused of defecting from “State” to embrace a new rival, “Western,” as his “side team.”

Returning to the cast of characters is Brian Bosworth, who plays the town sheriff.

He was an All-American linebacker at the University of Oklahoma in Norman from 1984-86 and played two seasons in the National Football League before retiring due to an injury.

 

Bosworth insists he had nothing to do with a new partnership between Dr Pepper and the City of Norman…but a 100-year old municipal water tower near the University of Oklahoma football stadium is being repurposed as a replica of the iconic Fansville water tower seen in the TV commercials.

This is a big deal for the city and the university. City council members unanimously approved the partnership. The 500,000-gallon tank was decommissioned for potable water use in 2014.

 

The idea originated after an official council meeting when some of the local officials gathered at an iconic watering hole, the Bluebonnet Bar in Norman for a few beers.

 

One of the participants was council member Scott Dixon, an account manager with NCS Multistage, a consulting firm that provides engineering and support services for oil and natural gas well completions and construction as well as field development strategies.

 

Dixon, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Oklahoma, said the conversation turned to the rusty, old water tower, and “we began kicking an idea around. We all thought, “Hey, this would be a lot of fun, and really great…with Brian Bosworth’s connections to both OU and Fansville.”

Dixon tracked down a contact at Dr Pepper and sent an email.

“Five minutes later, he emailed me back, and the conversation started from there,” Dixon said.

Dr Pepper has agreed to pay the city $500,000 to make the necessary aesthetic improvements at the water tower and have it painted dark red with the Dr Pepper logo in white letters.

The project is now underway, with a target completion date of Oct. 17, when the Oklahoma Sooners host the Kentucky Wildcats at “The Palace on the Prairie,” which has a capacity of 80,126 spectators. Some seats have a good view of the water tower.

 

The goal is to create a distinctive visual landmark that supports community branding, tourism and economic activity, said Jason Olsen, Norman’s parks and recreation department director.

 

“We hope that this ends up being another incredible stop on your game day visit to Norman,” Olsen said. “We see this being a special placemaking area for friends, family and fans, and we’re just really excited for the partnership with Dr Pepper.”

Dan Schemm, president of the Visit Norman tourism office, said: “If there was ever a city that made sense for Fansville, it’s Norman. College football is a big part of our identity, and bringing a piece of Fansville to life here feels like a natural fit.”

 

“Great destinations are built on experiences people remember, and this is one of those projects that will give fans and residents something truly unique to rally around,” Schemm said. “We can’t wait to welcome people to Norman to experience it for themselves.”

Plans also call for landscaping, parking and a pocket park around the tower. Norman officials are considering lighting that could illuminate the landmark in different colors throughout the year.

Dr Pepper will be allowed to hold a kickoff celebration and up to five events at the site each year.