Tar Babies
Tar Babies was an unofficial nickname given to the freshman (or junior varsity) basketball and football teams. It was used primarily by journalists (including those at the Daily Tar Heel) roughly from the 1920s through the 1970s. Similar to the "White Phantoms" nickname used in newspaper coverage for the men's basketball team during the same era, "Tar Babies" does not appear to have been used in official university publications or announcements.