CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The South’s Oldest Rivalry comes to WGNT Saturday.
In the second-longest series in major college football history, Virginia (5-and-2 overall, 3-and-1 ACC) and North Carolina (1-and-5 overall, 1-and-3 ACC) will meet for the 123rd time in the South’s Oldest Rivalry, a series that began in 1892. The game kicks off at 12:20 p.m. from Scott Stadium in Charlottesville and will be broadcast live on WGNT in Hampton Roads.
The two schools have met every season since 1919 and there have been only four seasons since 1900 when they did not meet (1906, 1909 and 1917-18, when football was postponed at both schools because of World War I).
Teams (Date of 2018 Meeting) | Games | 1st Game | |
1. | Minnesota/Wisconsin (Nov. 24) | 127 | 1890 |
2. | Virginia/North Carolina (Oct. 27) | 123* | 1892 |
Miami (Ohio)/Cincinnati (Sept. 8) | 123 | 1888 | |
4. | Auburn/Georgia (Nov. 10) | 121 | 1892 |
Oregon/Oregon State (Nov. 23) | 121 | 1894 | |
6. | Cal/Stanford (Nov. 17) | 120 | 1892 |
Indiana/Purdue (Nov. 24) | 120 | 1891 | |
Kansas/Missouri | 120 | 1891 | |
9. | Texas/Texas A&M | 118 | 1894 |
Army/Navy (Dec. 8) | 118 | 1890 | |
11. | Nebraska/Kansas | 117 | 1892 |
*- includes this week’s meeting
UVA is one victory shy of a sixth win and bowl eligibility. It would be the first time since 2005 that the ‘Hoos are bowl-eligible in back-to-back seasons. However, as The South’s Oldest Rivalry approaches, Virginia’s hopes are going north.
“Yeah, last year’s certainly over, and I don’t see it nor has it really entered my mind as a point of reference,” UVA head football coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “This is a different team, a different season. Our entire focus is on how we play well enough to win our next game. Our team certainly doesn’t feel — and in visiting with them today, this isn’t to where one more is enough. They’re anxious to see how many and how strong they can finish. I think they’re very determined. I sense just more and more focus and intensity on helping our team continue to improve.”
Saturday’s game vs. UNC is the first of three straight home games for UVA.