The NC State-East Carolina football rivalry has been played in Raleigh, Greenville, Charlotte and Atlanta. In a few weeks, the Wolfpack and Pirates will square off in Annapolis, Maryland as opponents in the Military Bowl.
The pairing had been hinted at for several days and was announced officially on Sunday afternoon along with the rest of the 2024-25 postseason schedule.
Four teams from the Old North State will go bowling this season. Duke will face Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl, while the Tar Heels will play in an iconic baseball stadium against Connecticut in the Fenway Bowl.
Here’s a quick preview of each contest:
Go Bowling Military Bowl | NC State (6-6) vs. East Carolina (7-5)
Saturday, December 28 | 5:45 p.m. | Annapolis, Md. | ESPN
East Carolina won four of its last five games under interim coach Blake Harrell, while NC State defeated rival North Carolina for the fourth year in a row to set up this juicy bowl match-up.
Expect to hear plenty about the 1992 Peach Bowl in the lead-up to this contest. East Carolina, with quarterback Jeff Blake at the helm, rallied to beat the Pack 37-34 in a thrilling game in Atlanta – the only other time the familiar rivals have met in the postseason.
NC State leads the all-time series 19-13, dating back to 1970. The teams have split the past six meetings, with East Carolina prevailing in 2010, 2013 and 2016, and the Pack taking the last three in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
The first 18 NC State vs. East Carolina games were played in Raleigh. The series was called off after the 1987 contest, won by ECU 32-14 on a night when Pirate fans stormed the field and tore down the goalposts.
It was renewed on New Year’s Day 1992 in the Peach Bowl and then continued on a more regular basis with the first-ever meeting in Greenville in 1996.
This will be the first game for East Carolina since the school removed the “interim” tag from Harrell’s coaching title. NC State coach Dave Doeren will be making his 10th bowl appearance with the Wolfpack in 12 seasons.
Wasabi Fenway Bowl | North Carolina (6-6) vs. Connecticut (8-4)
Saturday, December 28 | 11 a.m. | Boston | ESPN
Interim coach Freddie Kitchens will lead the Tar Heels into their 39th bowl appearance. UNC has earned a bowl berth in each of the past six seasons.
Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, will be transferred into a football venue for the contest. UNC and UConn will meet for the fourth time on the gridiron, the first since 2009.
“Fenway Park offers a truly unique and historic setting, and this game is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the hard work of our student-athletes while creating unforgettable memories for our fans, families, and alumni,” Kitchens said. “We’re grateful to be part of this special event and look forward to embracing the incredible atmosphere of postseason football at Fenway Park.”
North Carolina is 15-23 all-time in bowls. UNC has lost its last four post-season games, including a 30-10 defeat against West Virginia in the 2023 Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte. The most recent bowl victory came in the 2019 Military Bowl, a 55-13 trouncing of Temple in Mack Brown’s first season back with the program.
Taxslayer Gator Bowl | Duke (9-3) vs. Ole Miss (9-3)
Thursday, January 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Jacksonville, Fla. | ESPN
Duke football will have the chance to put a nice bow on Manny Diaz’s fabulous debut as head coach, battling the Rebels from the SEC. The Blue Devils will go bowling for the third year in a row, after winning the Military Bowl in 2022 and the Birmingham Bowl in 2023.
Ole Miss was ranked 16th in the final Associated Press poll of the regular season. Duke received enough votes for the 28th spot.
“We are thrilled to accept an invitation to play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Nina King said. “Coach Diaz, our coaches and staff and, most importantly, our student-athletes have earned the opportunity to play in this prestigious bowl game.”
Duke has the chance to reach 10 wins for only the second time in program history. The 2013 Blue Devils under coach David Cutliffe finished 10-4, with a loss to Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Ole Miss is coached by Lane Kiffin. The Rebels had College Football Playoff aspirations coming into the season but fell short by a few spots. Ole Miss beat Wake Forest 40-6 on Sept. 14.
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