The men’s basketball team takes on UNC-Chapel Hill Saturday, continuing a rivalry on the basketball court.

Normally, this event evokes the usual exchange of insults and hostile actions that accompany such rivalries, which is all fine. Students try to protect the Free Expression Tunnel from their opposite numbers at UNC, who inevitably try to paint the tunnel Carolina blue. And the heckling fans at the game itself will pull out more of the colorful, creative insults to hurl at the opposing team.

However, this week is different. After all, the passing of a great person is not something we encounter every day, and by all means, coach Kay Yow fits the description of a great person, both on the basketball court and off.

Yes, rivalries are not things people just forget and put aside easily. Still, this game could be more than just another bitter moment in the standing feud between N.C. State and Carolina. Students at both universities should not only focus on the rivalry, but should remember coach Yow for her achievements on the basketball court, her courageous battle with breast cancer and her inspiring work to help fight the disease.

One possible place to see the rivalry put aside is the Free Expression Tunnel. The tunnel is painted pink as part of the memorial efforts on campus, and hopefully, Carolina students will not attempt to change this.

And while it’s nice to see every NCSU student support the team at home games with a red-out, students from both schools should try to make Saturday’s game a pink-out.

NCSU and UNC may be two different universities with a standing rivalry between them, and it is impossible to reconcile these differences. Students will trash talk friends at UNC and will throw some choice insults and jeers at Carolina players — it’s simply a part of the tradition.

But on Saturday, both sides should keep Yow in mind as they cheer for the team of their choice. Until the final buzzer sounds Saturday, students at both universities should look to remember Kay Yow — she inspired young women to go after their dreams and reminded us all the message of another great person: “Don’t give up…don’t ever give up.”