Coach Mike Brey talks UNC basketball rivalry

While the Notre Dame- North Carolina football rivalry doesn't have a long tradition, the two basketball programs have a budding battle after facing off in some important games.

Head basketball coach Mike Brey spoke about the rivalry and life on the road this season in the ACC.

"Well I wonder if Roy Williams looks at it like a rivalry but we've played them a lot," Coach Brey said.

Maybe not to rivalry status but Coach Brey's Irish and Roy Williams' Tar Heels are getting really familiar with each other especially in recent years during postseason play.

"We played in championship games in the ACC Tournament and then the East Regional Championship in the NCAA Tournament. They are a proud, proud history and well coached under Roy Williams. Any time our program has had success against North Carolina, it's given us great credibility nationally," Coach Brey said.

The two programs first met in the late 1950s and have tipped off a total of 29 times.

In 2017 Coach Brey's team will play a bevy of games on Tobacco Road including in Chapel Hill.

"We'll be there and at Duke this year. As a matter of fact we play at Wake, at Duke, at NC State and at North Carolina I hope we win have a good trip down there this year," Coach Brey said.

While their rivalry is still budding, as long as North Carolina and Notre Dame continue to battle in important regular and postseason games, this growing gamesmanship could bloom into something bigger before our eyes.

"Our record since joining the league is very good on tobacco road. So any time we can go to the Carolinas and get a couple W's, that's a good thing," Coach Brey said.