GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s a house divided, but this one doesn’t fall.

“It’s always tension, that’s the thing,” K.B. Matthew said. “No matter how built-up Duke’s team is or how built-up Carolina’s team is, it’s always tension.”

 

       What You Need To Know

  • K.B. Matthew and his wife Jen Lea Matthew own House Divided Bottles & Taps
  • The name originates from Jen being a Duke fan and K.B. being a UNC fan
  • Saturday is longtime Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game
  • It’s the end of an era for the ‘Battle of the Blues,’ as longtime UNC coach Roy Williams retired last year
  • The bar has held a watch party for the game every single year since they opened 5 years ago

 

K.B. Matthew and his wife Jen Lea Matthew run House Divided Bottles & Taps in Greensboro. There’s a specific reason for the name— she’s a Duke fan and he’s a UNC fan.

“Actually, [I'm] surprised the name was still available in North Carolina because with Duke and Carolina being here and the whole big rivalry scene,” K.B. Matthew said. “When I registered the name, nobody even attempted to register the name in North Carolina.”

Thus, House Divided was born, celebrating Duke versus UNC, arguably the most thrilling rivalry in college basketball.

“I think this is bigger than the Super Bowl,” K.B. Matthew said. “More people come out.”

At House Divided, this has been a tense week. They’re holding a watch party Saturday for the game.

“Atmosphere is standing room only, all seats taken,” he said. “You can hardly hear yourself talk, there will be so many people in here.”

It’s something they’ve done since they opened five years ago. Every single year, it’s a party.

“Oh, every year it’s lots of fun. Talking junk to people you know, and they’re talking junk back to you,” K.B. Matthew said with a laugh. “Once the game ends, one person ain’t going to be talking junk no more.”

Both socially and economically, this rivalry spurs people into bars and restaurants all around the state.

“The economic impact is ridiculous,” K.B. Matthew said. “The money that [brought] in on the Duke-Carolina game, you can’t duplicate it.”

This feels like the end of an era for the Battle of the Blues. Longtime UNC Coach Roy Williams retired last year, and Saturday will be longtime Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game.

“I don’t like Duke teams, but I have to give Coach K his props. He earned my respect when he coached the Olympic and Kobe Bryant and all them,” K.B. Matthew said. “As they respected him, that’s how he gained my respect. For you to gain respect from NBA players as a college coach, that’s big.”

A humble respect for one of the greatest of all time.