Any Tar Heel fan has heard the same thing whether on Facebook, Twitter, forums, or just around town in conversations, “North Carolina is going to get busted for that scandle and lose their basketball championships.”

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Sep 4, 2010; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot Rameses performs during the third quarter against the LSU Tigers at the Georgia Dome. LSU defeated North Carolina 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

The Tar Heel isn’t only the name of our beloved university but its also a nickname of North Carolinians and our state. Hence why North Carolina is known as the Tar Heel state.  The actual origin is a bit confusing. There are two stories of where it comes from.

The first one goes all the way back to the Revolutionary War and the troops of the British General, Charles Cornwallis. After fording a river in the eastern part of the state, British troops had discovered their feet were covered in tar, which is a product found in North Carolina’s pine trees. It was considered one of the most importnat exports at the time for the state. Some say that the Carolinians had dumped it in the river to slow down that British army as they invaded the rebels. It has been said that the British observed that if you waded in the state’s rivers you would get tar on your heels.

The second story comes from the Civil War. A group of soliders from North Carolina had scolded their comrades for leading the battlefield during tough times and battles. The soldiers had threatened to stick tar on their heels of the retreating soldiers in order to help them stay in the battle. It is said that General Robert E. Lee then made the comment, “God bless the Tar Heel boys!”

But today, a Tar Heel is a student, fan, athlete, and a family. We wear Carolina Blue and ignore that outside world to unite together and support our teams. A Tar Heel is a tradition!

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November 10, 2011; San Diego, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives to the basket during the second half of a game against Michigan State Spartans at the Carrier Classic on board USS Carl Vinson. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE

This week UNC’s senior associate athletic director Larry Gallo confirmed thats talks have been made, but also noted that nothing was finalized. Michigan State officials declined to comment on the talks between the two schools.

“You don’t have to ask me or anybody. I think you know the relationship that Coach Williams and Coach Izzo have. It’s a pretty tight bond. We have been talking about it, but nothing has come to fruition yet,” says Gallo.

North Carolina and Michigan State have played in various games in recent years. UNC is 6-0 against MSU since Coach Williams returned to Chapel Hill as the Head Basketball Coach.

The Tar Heels are 3-0 against the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament since 2005, including the 89-72 victory in the 2009 title game in Detroit. North Carolina also won the ACC/Big Ten Challenge contests in ’08 and ‘09 against Michigan State, as well as the Carrier Classic event last November aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego as previously mentioned.

While talks are being made for a UNC/MSU series, don’t look for the series to appear on UNC’s schedule for next season.

“No, it’s not going to happen in 2012-13,” says Gallo. “We’ve been talking about the future, but we haven’t solidified or decided anything yet.”

As always be sure to follow Bryant on Twitter @bryantdouglass and Keeping It Heel @keeping_it_heel! You can read from Bryant on his own blog, Turn Four!