Thousands of Carolina fans across the state were stunned to see the emergence of an unknown basketball team that is finding success amidst the March Madness tournament. 

Self-proclaimed “longtime rivals” of UNC, the college has recently garnered attention on a national level. Many Tar Heels were fascinated to learn about the institution for the first time. 

But who is this mysterious university who’s long been looking for a chance to enter a love triangle with UNC and Duke? 

The school, named North Carolina State University, has evidently been a part of the NCAA conference since 1950, evading attention by only playing in the Final Four of March Madness a total of three times previously. 

However, the school recently gained traction for a historic victory, cementing them a spot in the Final Four for a whopping fourth time.  

The UNC basketball team, with their record 21 Final Four placements, was impressed to see that some schools are still in single digits and can be counted on one hand. 

We asked the team and coach to weigh in on the rivalry.

“Is that the red one?” asked Hubert Davis.

Armando Bacot also weighed in on the recent buzz about NC State.

“Aw, it looks like they really needed this,” Bacot said. “Just like I needed a win in my last Fortnite game.”

“As a fan of the underdog, it’s always nice to see an up and coming school get the opportunity,” said one anonymous NCAA referee. “It’s like that ugly friend that you try to convince your female friends has an amazing personality.”

Pop star Dua Lipa has also shown her support of their potential to advance to the finals by teasing her album, ‘Radical Optimism.’ 

Google search rates in Chapel Hill for “Who is NC State” have skyrocketed by 1,200 percent in the past week alone. When asked about their opinions of the supposed foe, UNC students have replied with a shrug or an inquisitive double blink. 

NC State fans have chosen to respond to UNC students’ indifference with an unprecedented move. Instead of cheering on their team’s victory, they’ve spent countless hours inundating social media with Carolina hate posts. 

“How are they going to act like we’re not a relevant state school?” said Wulf Pack. “We have an excellent engineering program–AND textile design.”

Best of luck to the NC State huskies on their final four placement. They deserve a medal or two just for how far they’ve come.