| Game Name: | Duke's Mayo Bowl |
| Subheader: | 22nd Duke's Mayo Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | December 27 |
| Year Game Played: | 2023 |
| Football Season: | 2023 |
| Stadium: | Bank of America Stadium |
| City: | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Visitor School: | University of North Carolina |
| Visitor Name Short: | North Carolina |
| Visitor Nickname: | Tar Heels |
| Visitor Record: | 8–4 |
| Visitor Conference: | ACC |
| Visitor Coach: | Mack Brown |
| Visitor 1Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 10 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home School: | West Virginia University |
| Home Name Short: | West Virginia |
| Home Nickname: | Mountaineers |
| Home Record: | 8–4 |
| Home Conference: | Big 12 |
| Home Coach: | Neal Brown |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 10 |
| Home 3Q: | 3 |
| Home 4Q: | 10 |
| Mvp: | Garrett Greene (QB, West Virginia)[1] |
| Odds: | West Virginia by 3.5[2] |
| Referee: | Jerry McGinn (Big 10)[3] |
| Attendance: | 42,925 |
| Us Network: | ESPN ESPN Radio |
| Us Announcers: | Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Dan Mullen (analyst), and Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline) (ESPN) Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Charles Arbuckle (analyst) (ESPN Radio) |
| Different Next: | 2025 |
The 2023 Duke's Mayo Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2023, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 22nd annual Duke's Mayo Bowl featured North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and West Virginia of the Big 12 Conference. The game began at approximately 5:30 p.m. EST and was aired on ESPN.[4] [5] The Duke's Mayo Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. The game's title sponsor was Duke's Mayonnaise.
The 2023 edition of the Duke's Mayo Bowl was the fourth under the Duke's Mayonnaise branding and 22nd overall. Based on conference tie-ins, the game was to feature teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). However, West Virginia's selection made it a matchup of teams from the ACC and the Big 12 Conference.
This was the third all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and the Tar Heels; the teams had a 1–1 record in prior games. Both previous matchups also were in bowl games, the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl (an earlier naming of the Duke's Mayo Bowl) won by West Virginia, and the 1997 Gator Bowl won by North Carolina.[6]
See main article: 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels football team. After starting the regular season 6–0 and rising as high as 10th in the AP poll, North Carolina went 2–4 in their final six regular season games, finishing the season unranked and with an 8–4 record (4–4 in ACC play). The Tar Heels played two ranked opponents, recording a victory over then-No. 25 Miami and a loss against then-No. 22 NC State at the close of the regular season. Sophomore running back Omarion Hampton ran for 1,442 yards and 15 touchdowns in the regular season, becoming a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.
North Carolina made its 38th bowl game appearance and sixth Duke's Mayo Bowl appearance.[7]
See main article: 2023 West Virginia Mountaineers football team. The 2023 Mountaineers also went 8–4 in the regular season (6–3 in Big 12 play). They finishing tied for fourth in their conference's standings. They played two ranked opponents, losing both games—they lost their season opener to No. 7 Penn State and later lost to No. 17 Oklahoma in conference play.
West Virginia made their 40th bowl appearance and third Duke's Mayo Bowl appearance.[8]