Woody Durham, longtime “Voice of the Tar Heels” made his annual summer visit to Whiteville Thursday, addressing area University of North Carolina supporters about the upcoming UNC football and basketball seasons and other matters pertaining to Tar Heel athletics.

Durham came as guest of WTXY radio, a longtime affiliate of the Tar Heel Sports Network. The meeting was held at Interim Health Care’s event center. Tom Stanley is director of WTXY.

Durham, who has been the UNC football and basketball radio play-by-play announcer for 35 years said that his job continues to become more exciting by the year.

Durham emphasized the point that the Atlantic Coast Conference is still not considered the major football conference it hopes to be because of the lack of “top line’ opponents in non-conference play.

“North Carolina has the toughest non-conference schedule in the league, based mainly on the fact that it will be playing Notre Dame at South Bend this season,” Durham said.

Tar Heel basketball is a subject that Durham never tires of talking about, and he admitted that he “probably more excited than anybody,” to see what Roy Williams team will hold in store in 2006-07 as it returns virtually intact while welcoming the country’s top recruiting class.

“It should be something fun to watch,” Durham said.