It’s Duke-UNC week. The football rivalry that dates back to the 1800s will be renewed once again on Thursday evening from Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Spraypainting the UNC-Duke football rivalry trophy is a tradition that will live on
Here’s a quick history of one of college football’s weirder trophy traditions, which isn’t going away after all.
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
If you’re not local, there’s one aspect of this 101-year-old rivalry that you may not be aware of: the Victory Bell.
The Victory Bell has been given to (or retained by) the winner of this game each year since 1948.
The history starts with two of the schools’ head cheerleaders: Loring Jones for Duke and Norm Speer for UNC. According to an excerpt from Duke and UNC’s Football Rivalry, the two wanted there to be something symbolic on the line.
They probably had the well-known “Old Oaken Bucket” or the Michigan-Minnesota “Little Brown Jug” in mind. Speer found a railroad engine bell, and Jones’ engineering drawing professor designed a cart.
With no money for construction, the cheerleaders approached the Duke Athletic Association for funds. They then had a Durham machine shop construct the cart, and polish the brass bell. The Duke Men’s Student Government Association reported the hope that “the token of friendly rivalry would foster friendly relations and eliminate vandalism between the two neighboring schools.
Hugh Morton Collection, UNC
A new twist on the tradition
In 2004, North Carolina beat Duke, one year after losing to the Blue Devils at home. After the win, UNC players spray painted the bell Carolina blue to celebrate the victory, then held onto it for almost a decade
In 2012, Duke got to spray paint the bell their own shade of blue for the first time.
In 2014, though, things went a little overboard.
UNC upset Duke, 45-20, to win back the Bell. Heading into the matchup, the Blue Devils had a chance to clinch the ACC Coastal, but UNC spoiled those chances.
After the victory, North Carolina players immediately painted the trophy on the field ... but that’s not all. The Tar Heels also left their mark on Duke’s campus, painting the visiting locker room Carolina blue, as well.
North Carolina wound up paying Duke $27,170.44 for the damages. Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora also issued an apology. Most of the money went to replacing the carpet, according to the News & Observer.
The Victory Bell has a new look ...
On Monday, during UNC’s practice, a new design was rolled out, with a fresh paint job and both teams’ colors and logos.
I’m not sure about you all, but this thing reminded me of those gym scooters you sat on and rolled around on in grade school.
The News & Observer reported:
UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham confirmed in a text message that this is simply the new, and indefinite, look for the Victory Bell, which has been in existence since 1948. Cunningham and Kevin White, the Duke athletic director, mutually agreed to a Victory Bell with equal representation for both schools.
Cunningham said, via The Associated Press:
Every other rivalry trophy or symbol I’ve ever seen has both teams on it, and the winner gets the prize and they keep it. And it exchanges back and forth. And anytime I’ve ever been near the Victory Bell, I have to explain to people what it is. It’s a bell on a cart. I actually think having both logos on it gives you some idea what it is. It’s a Victory Bell for the winner of the Duke-Carolina game.
... and it sounded to many like this meant the spray paint tradition would be going away ...
Since this is college football, some UNC players immediately began talking about spray painting it anyway. Even though UNC already controls it, now it has Duke blue on it.
Tar Heel wide receiver Ryan Switzer said via ACCSports.com that he was already planning to paint, if UNC gets a third straight win over Duke on Thursday night.
“I’ll have my own can of spray paint, so they’re going to have to either take that from me, or it’s getting painted either way,” Switzer said. “I’m sure they’re planning the same thing, so it’s definitely not going to stay half-and-half the way it is, regardless of the outcome of the game.”
“I don’t know if it’s for ESPN guys — we usually don’t do that,” senior Des Lawrence said about the new look via the Daily Tar Heel. “It’s supposed to stay our color. But now that I’m thinking about it, I really wouldn’t mind painting it Carolina Blue again. We are going to do it. We may bring our own spray paint.”
... but it’s still gonna get painted whenever it bears the losing team’s colors.
On Wednesday, Cunningham addressed the many fans who wondered about the tradition.
We’ll see who will get to paint the Bell on Thursday night. UNC is currently a 10.5-point favorite over Duke.
See More:
