If your team wreaks havoc in a rival’s locker room with cans of spray paint, you may have to write a personal check.

That’s the hard lesson learned by officials at the University of North Carolina. Following a November 45-20 win against Duke University's football team, UNC teammates "celebrated" with spray paint, according to reports. 

The tab for the Tar Heels’ spray-painting escapades totaled $27,170.44.

Duke University / News & Observer

Duke submitted an invoice to UNC for damage to its facilities following a November football game.

UNC athletic director Lawrence "Bubba" Cunningham and head coach Larry Fedora split the cost, writing personal checks to Duke University, reports relate.

The players had per-diem meal funds taken away for the next game, completed community service, and attended a decision-making seminar as punishment, the reports noted.

Cost Breakdown

Duke officials said most of the costs were associated with recarpeting its visitor’s locker room, where 60 carpet tiles were spray-painted beyond repair, according to the News & Observer, the news bureau that broke the story.

Duke also said that “UNC” was spray painted on several walls that had to be cleaned and that the Blue Devils’ practice field was defaced with a 20-yard-long line of paint.

Respect the Rivalry

In a Feb. 3 letter of apology to Duke athletic director Kevin White, Cunningham said he did not understand the charges assessed, but nonetheless took complete responsibility for the incident, News & Observer reported.

goheels.com

UNC Athletic Director Lawrence "Bubba" Cunningham (above) split the Duke bill with head coach Larry Fedora.

He also reportedly suggested that Duke should respect the schools’ rivalry as well. He sent a photo of spray-paint damage to UNC’s South Building on campus along with the letter, News & Observer reported. The photo showed four pillars spray painted with letters “D-U-K-E” on Feb. 19, 2014, prior to a basketball game between the schools.

“The University of North Carolina bore the cost of sandblasting these pillars and did not make public comments of the transgression. I acknowledge we have no idea who did this, but I simply included it to demonstrate that all fans, teams, coaches, students, etc. need to appreciate and respect the rivalry,” the news outlet reported, citing the letter.

It is longstanding tradition for the winner of the annual football game between North Carolina and Duke to spray paint the Victory Bell trophy in their school color, not the walls or carpet, reports note.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the flagship school for the university. Duke is located in Durham, NC.