Two North Carolina Universities The Only Schools In The Country To Accomplish This In College Athletics This Season

What do NC State and Duke have in common? It may surprise you. In North Carolina college rivalries run deep. Especially this time of year. And this March has been full of "madness". Especially as an NC State fan. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of the unexpected but oh-so fun. Seriously if you aren't an NC State fan you can't even imagine how much fun it's been.

After our men's team notched its 7th straight win against Oakland on Saturday night they clinched a trip to the Sweet 16. Then yesterday afternoon our women's team did the same. Another school in North Carolina also has both teams still dancing- The Duke Blue Devils. Nationally two other teams (UCONN and Gonzaga) accomplished this feat. But it is only the two schools in the North Carolina Triangle that accomplished this AND had their football team make a bowl game this athletic year. NC State played in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando while Duke traveled to the Birmingham Bowl.

NC State and Duke, two schools located only 27 miles from each other are the only two schools in the country to do this. That's pretty damn good if you ask me. Both schools are members of the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference). But despite those two similarities, the schools couldn't be much more different. Duke is a private university in Durham and NC State is a public institution in Raleigh.

The student body at NC State is approximately 4 times that of Duke's. A large portion of Duke's student body comes from out of state, particularly the Northeast. While NC State does attract out-of-state students, a much larger portion is from NC. I often joke that I don't think I actually know anyone personally who went to Duke. And it's true.

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Even athletically NC State and Duke are fairly different. NC State thrives in the role of the underdog. Championships in the big 3 sports (football, men's basketball, and baseball) had alluded the school for years. Despite that, there is a rich history, especially in men's basketball with NC State being one of only 15 universities to have won multiple national titles. There are 351 universities with a Division 1 team to put that into perspective.

But that championship drought finally ended with this year's men's basketball team capturing the ACC title a little over a week ago. Football coach Dave Doeren preaches the culture of a blue-collar school and that work ethic. I think it's fair to say Duke is very different in that regard. It's much more of a white-collar program, and the men's basketball team has seen sustained success in recent years much under now-retired Coach K.

Football at Duke has historically been more of a struggle, though they have put together solid teams in the last decade or so- reaching a bowl game 8 times since 2012. While NC State has had its fair share of up and down seasons and has yet to get over the 10-win or ACC Championship hunt they certainly expect to make a quality bowl game each year.

While (especially during basketball season) I certainly consider Duke a rival, I also think of them in a "your enemy's enemy is your friend" sort of way. Both NC State and Duke strongly dislike the other team close to us which bonds us at least a few days of the year. But I'll say it now. Congrats Duke! And congrats to my NC State Wolfpack. It's great for the state and the conference to have these two schools be the only ones in the country with men's and women's Sweet 16 teams and a bowl game. Let's keep dancing and having fun!

View the men's bracket here. 

View the women's bracket here. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year: March Madness. Seriously. Who doesn't love this time of year? It's always so exciting to see which teams make the NCAA Tourney and how the chips fall. Upsets are fun, too. Unless it's your team getting upset, of course. This year, there are a handful of teams that could really screw up your bracket.

The teams going to the NCAA Tournament are starting to shape up. It's cool to see some teams that haven't been in March Madness for years getting the nod. For one, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies are in the tournament for the first time since 2011. The Rochester, Michigan, team beat No. 4 seeded Milwaukee earlier this week to win the Horizon League championship game and get to the big dance. It's always so great to see the underdogs succeed.

As for other teams in the NCAA Tourney, most of the teams in the Top 25 in the national polls, if not all, are guaranteed a spot in the tournament, even if they don't do well in their respective conference tournaments. Likewise, if a team has tanked all year but wins their respective conference tournament, then they'll advance to March Madness. For some teams that have unfortunately had terrible seasons, this is their last hope. The Michigan Wolverines come to mind. They've had it rough this year, but if they win the Big Ten tournament, they'll advance. Of course, nobody is likely to get past Purdue, so that's another story.

We know which teams are super strong this year: Purdue, Houston and Connecticut. These guys aren't going anywhere. But, there are some less assuming teams that could bust your bracket. So, as you're carefully crafting your March Madness bracket this year, don't forget about these underrated teams. Let's get into a bunch right now.

This did not seem like the year for Ohio State. But, after a lousy first half of the season, they've turned things around. Ohio State has managed to beat Purdue and Michigan State. Could they be a bracket buster? Maybe.

Utah State is on fire this season. They've been playing consistently well, and that's important heading into March Madness. Even though they're ranked inside the top 20 of NCAA teams, many people don't' think of them in terms of being a real championship team. This could be their year.

The New Mexico State Aggies are not a team that you see a lot in talks about the Final Four. But, they have some star players this year in Donovan Dent, Jaelen House. and Jamal Mashburn Jr. They're ranked No. 6 in the nation right now, and they're hot this year. Don't be surprised if they make it to the final game.

I'm not just saying this because I'm a Michigan State University graduate and a huge Spartan football fan. Don't count Michigan State out. Tom Izzo gets hot in March. They've had a rocky season, but the Spartans could definitely pull off some upsets in the tourney and make it to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight.

The Dayton Flyers are representing the Atlantic 10 really well at the moment. But, they're definitely under the radar nationally. They're barely inside the top 25 in the NCAA, but they are a team to watch. Don't be surprised to see these guys pull off some upsets.

The Washington State Cougars are super hot this year, and they keep surprising teams with their strength and competitiveness. They're inside the Top 25 of NCAA teams, but they're still underrated when it comes to making it to the Elite Eight and Final Four. I say, don't count them out. These guys could surprise you and your bracket.

When it comes to Mountain West teams, Nevada stands out. The Wolf Pack is a team to watch in the NCAA Tourney. They're inside the top 25 for NCAA teams, but at the bottom end of the spectrum. Still, I could see these guys easily pulling off an upset against a higher seed.

Maybe it's all the praying, but for whatever reason, Saint Mary's is always super competitive during March Madness. This year is no different. They're inside the Top 25 of NCAA teams, but towards the bottom of that list. Still, they're a stronger team than their record shows, and they could bust some brackets.

Gonzaga is a team that always makes noise in March Madness. They have that history and legacy. This year, they're not at the top of the NCAA rankings. But, they're in the top 25, and they're hungry for more. Don't be surprised to see these guys get to the Final Four and mess up some brackets.

I know what you're thinking. How could Purdue be a bracket buster? Sure, they're favorites to make the Final Four this year. But, I don't think many people will have them going all the way. Most will probably lean to UConn. This is Zach Edey's last year with Purdue, though. Don't be surprised if they win it all.

March Madness is supposed to be fun, so don't get too stressed out about it. I actually didn't do brackets for a few years, because I ended up rooting against my teams to make my brackets win. It felt icky. This year, I'm back to the brackets, but just for fun. Hopefully these under-the-radar teams will help fill in your bracket. Happy March Madness season.