WATCH: North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye takes shot at rival NC State
The rivalry between North Carolina and North Carolina State might not get the same attention as other year-end college football rivalries, but the vitriol is not lacking. And Tar Heels redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye added fuel to the rivalry fire on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Maye was asked about wanting to play for North Carolina — or Carolina, as they prefer it. Maye has a strong legacy at the school, with his dad playing quarterback decades ago and his older brother Luke Maye famously starring on the Tar Heels basketball team. North Carolina runs deep for Maye, and he made that clear with a diss of rival North Carolina State.
“Whether you want to admit it or not, growing up in Carolina, you’re going to be a Carolina fan,” Maye said. “And you know, some people may say State, but really people who go to State just can’t get into Carolina. At the end of the day, playing for Carolina is a thing a lot of people from North Carolina want to do.”
Those 17 words will further ingratiate Maye to the Tar Heel faithful and make him more of just a plain old heel with the nearby rival Wolfpack. Only 66 days until these two teams meet on the football field.
Shortly after Maye got his shot in, he apologized on Twitter — likely at the behest of various university officials.
“I made a remark today about NC State, and I want to apologize. I was answering a question about playing in-state and said something I shouldn’t have. I said it as a joke but it was inappropriate. I feel bad and need to do a better job representing our program and this University,” Maye wrote.
Apologies aside, this episode will surely have the rivalry running that much hotter when the teams play on Nov. 25.