A Guide To College Sports In North Carolina

North Carolina has a storied sports legacy thanks to notable college alum like Michael Jordan, Grant Hill, and Vince Carter. Best known for its basketball stars, North Carolina college athletic programs have also produced one of the top female soccer players in the world, Mia Hamm, and football stars Julius Peppers and Lawrence Taylor. And as a basketball state, North Carolina has two basketball powerhouses, Duke University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Here’s a quick guide to college sports in North Carolina.

Duke University

In order to start a conversation about North Carolina college sports, the City of Champions must be discussed. This nickname has been granted to Durham, North Carolina, the home of Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and the minor league Durham Bulls. The Duke Blue Devils, of course, are legendary—winning 20 ACC titles since 1960. Women’s golf and tennis have also been successful programs for Duke, winning 20 and 17 ACC titles, respectively, and nine teams have won the national championship for the school—men’s basketball three times, women’s golf five times, and men’s soccer once. The school also produced NBA superstars Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, and Carlos Boozer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BejkaraAvb-/?taken-by=dukembb

University of North Carolina

But as Time.com points out, “You probably know about Tar Heels basketball, but the true powerhouse program at North Carolina is women’s soccer.” In fact, UNC’s women’s soccer program has won 21 national championships, which makes it the winner of more college titles than any other school in any sport. UNC also owns the distinction of having one of the American college stadiums with the best natural scenery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/6QztKEsQOP/?hl=en&taken-by=uncwomenssoccer

Other NCAA D1 Schools

North Carolina has 18 NCAA D1 programs, some of the biggest being Appalachian State University, Wake Forest University, North Carolina State University, East Carolina University, and Western Carolina University. Wake Forest has won eight national championships—three in women’s field hockey, one in men’s soccer and baseball, and three in men’s golf.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcQPcgEgdHU/?hl=en&taken-by=wfuniversity

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.