The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams representing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State. The campus at Chapel Hill is referred to as the University of North Carolina for the purposes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Since the school fostered the oldest collegiate team in the Carolinas, the school took on the nickname ""Carolina", especially in athletics. The Tar Heels are also referred to as North Carolina, UNC, or The Heels. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Tar Heels.
