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Stolen Duke Blue Devil mascot head appears on North Carolina campus

A stolen Duke Blue Devils mascot head appeared on a pole above a University of North Carolina campus book store.

A stolen Duke Blue Devils mascot head appeared on a pole above a University of North Carolina campus book store.

The stolen head of Duke's Blue Devil mascot was discovered on a pole above the University of North Carolina campus before Wednesday night's game in Durham.

Mark Armstrong of WTVD in Raleigh/Durham reported that Duke did lose one of its mascot heads, but a spare will be available for the game. The head was taken down, but not before pictures began appearing on social media sites.

Sources at UNC told WTVD that police took custody of the head and intend to return it to Duke pending an investigation.

The schools' intense rivalry featured in HBO Sports "Battle for Tobacco Road" documentary, has included several memorable pranks.

Last year, Duke students dressed UNC's revered "Silent Sam" statue in Blue Devils gear.

In 1998, four Duke students climbed high in the Dean Dome rafters to steal Michael Jordan's retired jersey, which eventually reappeared inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.