North Carolina apologizes for damaging Duke's locker room with spray paint
North Carolina took its post-game celebration too far after beating Duke on the road on Thursday night.
According to the Durham Herald-Sun, North Carolina issued an apology and will pay for repairs needed to Duke’s visiting locker room after “significant” damage with light blue spray paint was done following the Tar Heels’ 45-20 win. Players reportedly spray-painted interior and exterior walls of the opponents’ locker room in Duke’s Brooks Practice Facility, which is next to Wallace Wade Stadium, and caused “thousands of dollars in damages.”
Additionally, “UNC” was painted “on a wall next to the door entering the facility.”
As part of the rivalry between the two teams, it is tradition for the winner of the game to spray paint the Victory Bell trophy in their school color when the game ends.
UNC coach Larry Fedora called Duke’s David Cutcliffe and UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham called Duke AD Kevin White on Friday to apologize. Additionally, UNC spokesman Kevin Best, who said the school will pay for all of the damages, issued a statement from Fedora and Cunningham:
"We would like to apologize to the Duke Football program and Duke University for some inappropriate actions after last Thursday night’s game in Durham. Our players took the celebrations too far when they were painting the bell, resulting in damage to some of the facilities at Duke. We take full responsibility for our players’ actions and will be paying for all costs associated with the cleanup. We view this as a rivalry built on mutual respect and we expect our players to behave better in a way that is more befitting of the rivalry.”
The win clinched bowl eligibility for North Carolina (6-5) and ended 8-3 Duke’s chance of winning the ACC Coastal Division for the second straight season. It was UNC”s first victory in the series since 2011.
For more North Carolina news, visit TarHeelIllustrated.com. For more Duke news, visit DevilsIllustrated.com.
- - - - - - -
Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
