The Carlyle Cup appears to be headed to Chapel Hill. With the current standings placing the Tar Heels above the Blue Devils by five points, Duke needs to win seven of its final eight competitions against UNC to hold on to the Cup for the fourth time in five years.
Sponsored by jewelers Carlyle & Co., the Cup is awarded to the school that wins the most matches against its rival. All sports played by both participants are included in the competition, which takes place over the entire year. Point values are assigned to each sport, ranging from one half-point to two points per regular-season meeting.
The Tar Heels currently lead the Blue Devils 11.5 to 6.5.
At this point in the season last year, the Blue Devils held a much better position. Duke swept both men’s and women’s basketball, and the football team won the Victory Bell. The five victories earned the school six points toward that year’s Cup.
This year, the Blue Devils could not repeat their previous success. UNC’s three regular-season basketball victories and dominance on the football field swung five points back to the Tar Heels. Duke won the Cup last year by only two points, so the significant point shift means Chapel Hill will likely be the resting place of the Cup until next year.
For the 2004-2005 Carlyle Cup, the only remaining sports are baseball, women’s rowing and men’s and women’s golf, tennis, and track and field.
With both Duke tennis teams ranked in the top 15, the Blue Devils should repeat last year’s success on the tennis court and earn two points. The surging North Carolina women’s team, however, is No. 14 in the country and 6-1 in the ACC. They may prove too much for a Duke team that was upset by Maryland this past week. Both the men’s and women’s competitions will take place in Chapel Hill Wednesday.
Victories on the golf course are likely for the Blue Devils. The women’s team has been winning tournaments all year, while the men are coming off a victory in the Courtyard Marriott Invitational. Both of the ACC Championships will be held April 15 to 17.
The No. 7 Tar Heel baseball squad will most likely bring another point back to Chapel Hill when the two teams meet for a three-game series that starts April 22.
The final points will be awarded for women’s rowing and track and field. The Blue Devils were victorious in the water last year and could repeat. The stellar Tar Heel track and field teams should maintain last year’s form and earn two points, finishing off Duke.
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