ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled its first Duke vs. North Carolina basketball rivalry bobblehead Monday to celebrate the start of the 2025-26 season.
The officially licensed bobblehead features Duke’s mascot — the Blue Devil — and North Carolina’s mascot — Rameses — standing side by side on a basketball court base labeled “BLUE DEVILS VS TAR HEELS.” Both mascots are shown in their team uniforms, holding basketballs adorned with their school logos and signaling “No. 1.”
The release coincides with the season openers for both programs. North Carolina is scheduled to face Central Arkansas on Monday in Chapel Hill, while Duke will play Texas on Tuesday in Charlotte. The 266th meeting between the rivals is set for Feb. 7 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, with the 267th matchup on March 7 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham.
Since releasing its first rivalry bobblehead nearly five years ago, the Duke-UNC edition has been among the most requested by fans, the museum said. The bobbleheads, individually numbered to 2,025, are available exclusively from the museum’s online store for $50 each, plus an $8 flat shipping fee. Shipments are expected in February.
The Duke-Carolina basketball rivalry, which dates to Jan. 24, 1920, is considered one of the most intense in college sports. The schools, located just 10 miles apart on North Carolina’s “Tobacco Road,” have consistently been national contenders. North Carolina leads the all-time series 145-120, though Duke has won the last three meetings. Since the Atlantic Coast Conference’s founding in 1953, the two programs have combined for 49 ACC regular-season titles and 38 tournament championships.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, opened to the public in February 2019. It produces licensed and custom bobbleheads for retail and organizations nationwide.
