ACC teams have played on the same day as the Super Bowl since 1973. The inaugural appearance, nationally televised in those pre-cable days, featured second-ranked Maryland and third-ranked N.C. State.
The contest was close, well-played, and heralded the national arrival of David "Skywalker" Thompson, the greatest player in ACC history. The Wolfpack's 87-85 victory was secured when the 6-4 Thompson soared above Terp big men Tom McMillen and Len Elmore to tip in a missed shot at the buzzer.
N.C. State went on to a 57-1 record over the 1973 and 1974 seasons, capped by the school's first national championship.
The ACC went on to make its pairing with the Super Bowl a virtually annual practice.
This year Florida State visits North Carolina as prelude to the Super Bowl. This is FSU's eighth appearance as hors d'oeuvre to football's big game, more than original ACC members Clemson, Duke, and Virginia. Not bad considering the Tallahassee school joined the conference in 1992.
Remarkably, given its relatively low basketball profile, Florida State is playing on Super Sunday for the sixth time in nine years. By contrast, Duke has gotten such an opportunity on the sports-rich day just twice since 1997. The Blue Devils have appeared less frequently than any other original ACC members expect Clemson.
North Carolina is making its 14th Super Sunday appearance; only N.C. State (15) has more. Last year UNC visited Maryland and got crushed, part of a run of seven losses in eight league games, 10 in a 12-game stretch, for the Tar Heels. (The only victories in that span were over N.C. State).
Maryland was led by seniors Greivis Vasquez (26 points, 11 assists), Eric Hayes (16 points, 5 assists), and Landon Milbourne (15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals). The Heels caught the Terps amid a late-season run in which they won 13 of their last 15 entering the ACC Tournament, securing a surprise tie with Duke atop the league standings.
This is the third Super Sunday meeting between Florida State and North Carolina, with the Tar Heels winning on each previous occasion. With UNC-FSU as prelude, AFC champion New England won in 2006, but was upset by the NFC's New York Giants in 2008.
AFC teams followed two of Florida State's three wins with Super Bowl titles - New England in 2004 and Indianapolis in 2007. Dallas, host of this year's Super Bowl, was victorious after FSU topped Georgia Tech in 1993.
NFC teams won five of eight after UNC victories, including Green Bay in 1997. Pittsburgh emerged as champion twice when the Super Bowl was preceded by a Tar Heel loss.
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SUPER SUNDAY |
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| Team | W-L | W Pct. |
| Boston College | 0-0 | .000 |
| Clemson | 0-2 | .000 |
| Duke | 4-2 | .667 |
| Florida State | 3-4 | .429 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-5 | .286 |
| Maryland | 5-6 | .455 |
| Miami | 0-0 | .000 |
| North Carolina | 8-5 | .615 |
| N.C. State | 10-5 | .667 |
| Virginia | 4-3 | .571 |
| Virginia Tech | 0-0 | .000 |
| Wake Forest | 3-6 | .333 |
| Date | Super Bowl Result | Basketball Result |
| 2/6/11 | Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay | Florida State@North Carolina |
| 2/7/10 | New Orleans 31-Indianapolis 17 | Maryland 92-North Carolina 71 |
| 2/1/09 | Pittsburgh 27-Arizona 23 | Duke 67-Virginia 49 |
| 2/3/08 | N.Y. Giants 17-New England 14 | N.C. State 67-Wake Forest 65 |
| North Carolina 84-Florida State 73 (OT) | ||
| 2/4/07 | Indianapolis 29-Chicago 17 | Florida State 68-Duke 67 |
| 2/5/06 | Pittsburgh 21-Seattle 10 | N.C. State 62-Maryland 58 |
| 2/6/05 | New England 24-Philadelphia 21 | North Carolina 81-Florida State 60 |
| 2/1/04 | New England 32-Carolina 29 | N.C. State 81-Maryland 69 |
| Florida State 88-Savannah State 73 | ||
| 1/26/03 | Tampa Bay 48-Oakland 21 | Wake Forest 71-Florida State 60 |
| N.C. State 86-North Carolina 77 | ||
| 2/3/02 | New England 20-St. Louis 17 | Maryland 89-N.C. State 73 |
| Missouri 81-Virginia 77 | ||
| 1/28/01 | Baltimore 34-N.Y. Giants 7 | North Carolina 60-N.C. State 52 |
| 1/30/00 | St. Louis 23-Tennessee 16 | Virginia 76-Wake Forest 67 |
| 1/31/99 | Denver 34-Atlanta 19 | Wake Forest 85-Maryland 72 |
| North Carolina 75-Georgia Tech 66 | ||
| 1/25/98 | Denver 31-Green Bay 24 | Wake Forest 74-Missouri 65 |
| N.C. State 56-Georgia Tech 51 | ||
| 1/26/97 | Green Bay 35-New England 21 | North Carolina 61-Clemson 48 |
| Maryland 74-Duke 70 | ||
| 1/28/96 | Dallas 27-Pittsburgh 17 | Duke 83-Maryland 73 |
| Connecticut 76-Virginia 46 | ||
| 1/29/95 | San Fran 49-San Diego 26 | Georgia Tech 81-Florida State 68 |
| 1/30/94 | Dallas 30-Buffalo 13 | North Carolina 85-Wake Forest 61 |
| 1/31/93 | Dallas 52-Buffalo 17 | N.C. State 72-Clemson 70 |
| Florida State 96-Georgia Tech 77 | ||
| 1/27/91 | N.Y. Giants 20-Buffalo 19 | Georgia Tech 88-North Carolina 86 |
| 1/28/90 | San Fran 55-Denver 10 | Virginia 71-Wake Forest 70 (OT) |
| Duke 88-Georgia Tech 86 | ||
| 1/22/89 | San Fran 20-Cincinnati 16 | Illinois 103-Ga. Tech 92 (2OT) |
| 1/31/88 | Washington 42-Denver 20 | N.C. State 71-DePaul 66 |
| 1/25/87 | N.Y. Giants 39-Denver 20 | Kansas 74-N.C. State 60 |
| 1/26/86 | Chicago 46-New England 10 | North Carolina 73-Notre Dame 61 |
| 1/30/83 | Washington 27-Miami 17 | Arkansas 68-Wake Forest 65 |
| 1/24/82 | San Fran 26-Cincinnati 21 | Virginia 74-Louisville 56 |
| 1/25/81 | Oakland 27-Philadelphia 10 | Virginia 89-Ohio State 73 |
| 1/20/80 | Pittsburgh 31-L.A. Rams 19 | Maryland 92-North Carolina 86 |
| 1/21/79 | Pittsburgh 35-Dallas 31 | Duke 75-N.C. State 69 |
| 1/15/78 | Dallas 27-Denver 10 | North Carolina 71-Wake Forest 69 |
| 1/9/77 | Oakland 32-Minnesota 14 | Maryland 87-N.C. State 80 |
| 1/18/76 | Pittsburgh 21-Dallas 17 | N.C. State 68-North Carolina 67 |
| 1/13/74 | Miami 24-Minnesota 7 | N.C. State 80-Maryland 74 |
| 1/14/73 | Miami 14-Washington 7 | N.C. State 87-Maryland 85 |
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