The University of North Carolina and NC State University announced their men's basketball programs will meet in the inaugural 'Tobacco Road Classic', a non-conference, neutral-site game to be held at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro.
"For the fans, it's a fun rivalry," said NC State head coach Justin Gainey. "I look forward to (as we lead up to that game) talking to our guys about the history of the tradition, and all the great coaches and players that have played in that rivalry."
The 2025-25 season was the first time since 1919 that long-time rivals did not play twice in the regular season. Because of league expansion, the ACC reduced its league schedule from 20 games to 18, which in turn forced the ACC to assign each school one "primary partner" to play home and away.
For UNC, that was Duke, and for NC State, that was Wake Forest. But the creation of this new event guarantees two of the state's most proud programs will meet twice in the regular season this year and next.
"The landscape is changing, but we have to make sure as caretakers of this game that we're finding ways to give back to the fans and give them what they want," said UNC head coach Michael Malone.
"UNC-NC State is one of the greatest rivalries in college basketball, and we're thrilled to bring it to Greensboro," said Scott Johnson, General Manager of First Horizon Coliseum.
"The Tobacco Road Classic gives fans the opportunity to experience this historic matchup in a neutral-site setting, and we're grateful to the universities, athletic directors, and coaches for making this game possible."
Tickets go on sale on Thursday, September 10th at Ticketmaster.com and the First Horizon Coliseum Ticket Office.
The December 15th game will mark the first time UNC and NC State will play in Greensboro in the regular season since they met in the Big 4 Tournament on November 30th, 1979.