Old rivalries never die. It’s been nearly eight years since Maryland left the Atlantic Coast Conference for the Big Ten. Yet, the Terrapins didn’t miss the opportunity to troll Duke after the Blue Devils lost to North Carolina in head coach Mike Kryzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The tweet was fitting. ESPN’s cameras scanned the crowd, finding a lot of sad and stunned looks on the faces of Duke fans. Maryland’s tweet comes from the Terrapins’ upset win over Duke in the 2004 ACC tournament championship.
There is no question North Carolina is Duke’s biggest rival. But Maryland has long felt they had a nearly equal rivalry with the Blue Devils. Blue Devils fans may disagree as they once chanted “not our rival” to Maryland.
When Maryland left the ACC for Big Ten, Kryzewski proclaimed Duke would not schedule the Terrapins no longer. So there is a great deal of history behind the trolling. For some it may be an eyesore because the sentiment for Coach K’s final home game. However, it’s an understanding for Maryland and its fans.
