UNC outrage spurs Duke rebuke

It was bad enough that Tar Heel loyalists had infiltrated Duke University's hallowed basketball kingdom -- first at Krzyzewskiville and then Cameron Indoor Stadium.

But when Carolina's Robertson scholars -- a select group that takes classes at both Duke and UNC -- raucously cheered their men's basketball team to victory last year in Blue Devil territory, it was time for revenge.

Duke student government leaders took up the challenge.

From now on, Robertson scholars from Carolina are forbidden to set up tents at Duke's K-ville for tickets to the big game. Duke student leaders hope that will keep Tar Heels from masquerading as Blue Devil fans the way they did last year before stripping off their dark blue shirts to reveal their true colors.

Eric Mlyn, director of the scholars program, says the new edict flies in the face of a partnership designed to blur the dividing lines between the rival universities. And Anthony Marzocca, a Robertson scholar based at Duke, agreed -- although his near blasphemous ideas might just earn him a spot outside the gym when the two teams meet again.

"It's a basketball game," said Marzocca, a student senator who voted against the ban. "Should we really be playing this tit-for-tat kind of war?"