UNC fans continued tradition on Saturday night, rushing Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street seconds after the buzzer sounded in their 81-77 Final Four victory over Duke.
As is customary after the men’s basketball team beats their rival down the road in Durham, students and community members alike flooded the central street of downtown Chapel Hill. The mass of people celebrated UNC’s trip to the national championship for more than an hour.
The town government spent time preparing for a potential Carolina victory, removing street sign and greasing the light poles on the street corners. But some students still found a way to scale the pole, as well as set off fireworks amid the crowd.
Chants of “We want Kansas,” “Hubert Davis” and, of course, the Carolina fight song rang out shortly after 11 p.m.
On Sunday, Chapel Hill Town Manager Maurice Jones said an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 people joined in the celebration on Franklin Street. Town authorities reported ten people were treated for injuries on the night, with four taken to the hospital for further treatment. According to Jones, none of the injuries were serious.
Chapel Hill Police said one person was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit in the celebration.
The Town of Chapel Hill cleared the intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia Street shortly after 12:45 a.m., with street sweepers on hand to clean up the remaining debris from the celebration. The intersection was reopened to traffic around 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
![]()
Chapel Hill: Preparation for the Big Game + Estes DriveChapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Thursday, March 31. She details how the town government is preparing for a busy weekend in town due to the Tar Heels men's basketball team...and what to expect just in case Carolina beats Duke!

Social Media, Franklin Street Erupt for UNC Men's Basketball's Regular Season Sweep of DukeUNC men’s basketball closed its regular season in the best possible way on Saturday: beating Duke and claiming the outright ACC regular season title. The Tar Heels earned the 84-79 victory and eventually made the trip in the team bus to Franklin Street, where UNC students and community members greeted them after rushing the downtown […]

UNC Community Briefly Rushes Franklin Street Following Basketball's WinUNC community members rushed Franklin Street Saturday night following the men’s basketball victory against Duke, failing to follow Town of Chapel Hill and university leaders’ requests. Moments after the final buzzer in Tar Heels’ 91-73 win over the Blue Devils, students and community members headed to the intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia Street, a […]
![]()
No Arrests Made in Franklin Street CelebrationApproximately 7,500 Carolina fans rushed Franklin Street in Chapel Hill Thursday night after No. 21 UNC knocked off ninth-ranked Duke 82-78 in the Dean Smith Center. The rushing of Franklin Street is a Tar Heel tradition reserved for wins over Duke and victories in the Final Four or National Championship. Chapel Hill Police said in […]

Chansky's Notebook: Quad 1 QualityUNC was looking for help from the perimeter to complement its leading inside scorers. And the Heels got it at the right time.

Derek Dixon's Late Buckets Lead UNC Men's Basketball Past No. 18 KentuckyUNC’s defense held No. 18 Kentucky to just 8-23 shooting in the second half on its way to a 67-64 win in Lexington Tuesday night. It’s Carolina’s first win at the Wildcats’ Rupp Arena since 2007. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/rPZqtKTzFW — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 3, 2025 The Wildcats had shot 15-30 overall in […]

UNC Men's Basketball at Kentucky (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off TimeCarolina will travel to the Bluegrass State to face Kentucky in Rupp Arena Tuesday night as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. It will be the first time the Tar Heels have visited Lexington since the 2014-15 season. If you aren’t making the trip with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast […]

Chansky's Notebook: Lessons LearnedMost teams must play good defense to help their offense. UNC did neither vs. Michigan State and suffered its first loss.

Shooting Woes Doom UNC Men's Basketball in Loss vs. No. 11 Michigan StateUNC shot just 21-55 (38.2 percent) from the floor and 4-23 (17.4 percent) on three-pointers in a 74-58 loss to No. 11 Michigan State in the final game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off event Thursday afternoon. The Spartans closed the game on a 19-6 run, blowing it open after UNC had whittled what had been […]

UNC Men's Basketball vs. Michigan State (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off TimeCarolina will play its second and final game at the Fort Myers Tip-Off Thursday afternoon when the Tar Heels face No. 11 Michigan State. UNC is seeking to avenge an overtime loss to the Spartans at the Maui Invitational last season. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along […]
›