UNC Asheville reclaims Ingles I-26 Rivalry trophy from USC Upstate
UNC Asheville took back the Ingles I-26 Rivalry trophy with a 39-21 points win over USC Upstate, its second title in the series' three-year history.
UNC Asheville brought the Ingles I-26 Rivalry trophy back to Asheville with a 39-21 victory over USC Upstate in the 2025-26 competition. The Bulldogs’ second title in the three-year series came in a rivalry the Big South Conference built around two schools separated by 65 miles on I-26, turning regular conference dates into a season-long points race.
The title was decided across fall and winter sports, not in one game. Asheville held a 12-6 lead after the fall portion of the rivalry, then widened the gap when both basketball teams beat USC Upstate on Jan. 21-22, 2026, pushing Asheville ahead 18-6. A Feb. 4 men’s basketball win moved the Bulldogs to a 21-6 lead, and Asheville’s winter portion of the rivalry carried 15 points.
USC Upstate’s 2025 food drive collected more than 450 canned and non-perishable items for Miracle Hill Ministries and earned the Spartans three bonus points in the rivalry. UNC Asheville also built community involvement into its winter schedule, tying local participation to a points total.
The rivalry was formally announced in September 2023 by the Big South Conference and the two schools, and UNC Asheville won the inaugural trophy in 2023-24 before USC Upstate claimed it in 2024-25. When Asheville first lifted the trophy, Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone said, “It is such an honor to bring the Ingles I-26 Rivalry trophy to Asheville following our first year of competition.”
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