For over 100 years, next-door neighbors UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State have had one of the most deeply rooted and bitter rivalries in all of North Carolina. Separated by just 25 miles, these schools have had many classic and memorable games in a variety of sports.

Football, basketball and baseball are what most fans think of when they think of these two central North Carolina schools going to battle. However, one more sport has been exploding in popularity over the past few years around the Triangle and is cementing itself as one of the key games in this Tobacco Road rivalry.

Hockey is a relatively new sport around North Carolina. It never truly found its footing in the region until the emergence of the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997. The Canes’ recent success — making the NHL playoffs every year since the 2018-19 season — has only accelerated the excitement and engagement in the sport of hockey in the state.

NC State and UNC hockey massively benefited from the Hurricanes coming to town. Around the same time the former owner of the Hartford Whalers Peter Karmanos announced that the team was moving south and changing its name — later announced as the Carolina Hurricanes — the Tar Heels became one of the very first members of the Division II Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) in 1996. The Icepack followed closely after, joining the league in 1998.

The relationship between professional and collegiate hockey in North Carolina extends further than the development of teams and leagues. One of the most must-see events spawned from the Canes’ relationship with club hockey in North Carolina is the annual Governor’s Cup at PNC Arena.

Third-year Icepack head coach Tim Healy believes this game boosted engagement for all parties involved in the conception of this matchup.

“David Olsen, who at the time ran PNC Arena along with former Icepack coach Mike Gazzillo and current head coach of the Tar Heels, Jeff Volkman, saw the game as a way to showcase our rivalry but also grow the game of hockey in Raleigh by bringing people in to PNC Arena,” Healy said. “By having this game at PNC Arena, it could accomplish two different objectives. Fans of either NC State and UNC, but not necessarily hockey fans, would come and see a hockey game on a grand stage, so maybe they’ll come back to see a Canes game. On the flip side, it was a way to bring hardcore hockey fans who don’t really know much about collegiate club hockey and introduce it to them. Then they’ll keep going to the Governor’s Cup game and show up to our other regular season games.”

The Monday before Thanksgiving break is always one of the biggest matchups marked on the schedule for the Icepack. More than 5,000 NC State and UNC fans fill up the lower bowl of the Carolina Hurricanes home stadium to watch this classic college rivalry extend to new realms. It has even attracted so much attention that Gov. Roy Cooper, who is an avid supporter of the growth of hockey around the state, will come to drop the puck and present the “Governor’s Cup” to the winning team.

The Icepack have won each of the five Governor’s Cup games since its creation, but expect UNC to threaten NC State’s undefeated streak this year.

“UNC has really ascended from the first time we played them last year to this year, so I definitely want to give credit to them,” Healy said. “They’ve improved their program, and they’ve stepped up. They’re playing a more competitive schedule, which ultimately is good for us. We play them four times a year, and if they’re not great, that kills our strength of schedule. It hurts us in the long run. So it’s great that they’ve stepped it up. Ultimately, it’s good for the rivalry to be more competitive.”

The Tar Heels won the first NC State-UNC matchup of the 2022 season 5-3 at Invisalign Arena back on Sept. 30.

“Our team saw the celebration from UNC at the end of the last game, and it was like their Stanley Cup,” Healy said. “They hadn’t beaten us 13 times in a row before that. We would have probably done the same. We’ll never see that because we’re not going to lose to them 13 times in a row. But our guys saw that celebration on our home ice, and I think that’s going to set a different tone for us in the PNC game.”

There will be a ticket distribution for the Governor’s Cup in the Brickyard on Thursday, Nov. 17 between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Student tickets will be free with a valid Student ID. Student tickets will also be available at either of the two remaining Icepack home games at Invisalign Arena Nov. 18-19 versus the Cincinnati Bearcats.

For non-students, tickets are available on Ticketmaster for $10. Use promo code “GONCSU” for 50% off.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21 at PNC Arena.