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When twins Carolyn Pilcher McAllister 鈥�90 and Jennifer Pilcher Schneier were growing up in Winston-Salem and Clemmons, the Pilcher household was 鈥渁ll Carolina, all the time,鈥� Schneier recalls.

But then Schneier took a tour of Duke University鈥檚 campus as a teenager. 鈥淭hat magic happened, and I knew it鈥檚 where I belonged. Best choice I ever made.鈥� She became a Blue Devil, majoring in French and international studies, and met husband Steve. (鈥淗e got his MBA at Carolina, but we don鈥檛 talk about that,鈥� Schneier says.) She went on to earn her law degree and is general counsel at the North 色中色League of Municipalities.

McAllister, on the other hand, was a Tar Heel all the way. 鈥淚 always knew I wanted to go to Carolina. It鈥檚 the only school I applied to.鈥� She majored in journalism, became an occupational therapist and, most recently, office manager for her husband鈥檚 dental practice in Hickory, North Carolina. She met husband John at Carolina.

Despite attending rival schools, 鈥渨e lived together in Paris for a study abroad program,鈥� Schneier says. The twins spent their junior year studying at the Alliance Fran莽aise.

鈥淭hat was so much fun,鈥� McAllister adds.

The twin experience

With their shoulder-length blond hair, similar size and facial features 鈥� even the same cleft chin 鈥� McAllister and Schneier definitely look like identical twins. But 鈥渙ur names don鈥檛 rhyme,鈥� Schneier points out.

The sisters were stopped so often by strangers who asked if they were twins that McAllister came up with the cheeky response of pointing to her sister and saying, 鈥淵es, but she鈥檚 adopted.鈥�

Later in life, when the twins were living separately, they would sometimes show up at an event dressed in identical outfits, unplanned. But the special connection goes deeper than clothing choices. 鈥淪ometimes I call her and say, 鈥楢re you OK?鈥� I just had a feeling, and something had happened,鈥� Schneier says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 intuition or something in the ether.鈥�

They only switched identities once in high school, going to each other鈥檚 classes in typing and French as a joke. In college, when they needed a student ID to get into sporting events, the host twin would present her ID first then casually pass it back to the visiting twin.

Which brings us to the Big Game.

Rivalry twins

The McAllisters became ticketholders at the Dean E. Smith Center and frequent hosts of the Schneiers for games. 鈥淲hen you enter enemy territory, it鈥檚 brave to wear your Duke gear,鈥� Schneier says.

The surrounding Tar Heels take the visitors in stride. 鈥淓veryone has good manners,鈥� McAllister says.

In this century, the all-important match-up has coincided with the twins鈥� birthday four times before, in 2002, 2008, 2009 and 2014. This Saturday will mark the fifth time. They won鈥檛 be attending in person but will watch the game together hosted by 鈥渨hoever has the biggest TV,鈥� McAllister says.

鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for the great rivalry, then we wouldn鈥檛 have all this fun,鈥� Schneier says. 鈥淗ere we are, identical twins, going to rival schools, still enjoying the rivalry, and鈥︹��

鈥淎nd we still talk to each other at the end of the day,鈥� McAllister finishes her thought.

No matter who wins, this Tar Heel and Blue Devil will be celebrating a birthday. Which one? Well, let鈥檚 just say it coincides with the last two numbers of a year when the Tar Heels won the national championship in men鈥檚 basketball.