CHAPEL HILL -- Check off the many sports in which North Carolina competes, and you might find an individual program having an off-year.

The obvious slippage this year came in men’s basketball.

But overall, in 2001-02 the Tar Heels have continued their tradition of being the most successful overall athletic program in the Atlantic Coast Conference and one of the top programs in the United States.

Carolina won four team titles over the weekend, which will ensure that for the 15th successive year Carolina has won as many or more conference championships than any other league school.

The streak began in 1987-88, and over the past 15 years Carolina has won more conference championships 11 times. Four times UNC tied for the year’s title-winning lead.

UNC teams won more ACC titles than any other school in 1987-88, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 2001-02.

During the 15-year streak, UNC and Clemson tied in 1988-89 with seven titles each. Carolina, Duke and Clemson each won four titles each in 1998-99, Carolina and Duke won six championships apiece in 1999-2000, and Carolina and Duke each won seven titles in 2000-01.

This academic year, Carolina leads all ACC schools with seven team championships out of the 23 that have been decided. There are 25 total team champions at the conference level.

UNC has won the title in women’s soccer, volleyball, women’s swimming and diving, women’s outdoor track and field, women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.

Four of those championships came this past weekend as UNC won women’s outdoor track Saturday and men’s and women’s tennis and women’s lacrosse Sunday. This was Carolina’s first title in women’s lacrosse, the first championship for men’s tennis since 1992 and the 25th ACC title overall in that sport and the first championship in women’s tennis since 1981.

Duke has won four titles this year. N.C. State has captured three, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia and Georgia Tech all have two, and Florida State has one.

Baseball and softball are the last two ACC sports that will determine their championships. Softball will hold its tournament May 10-12 in Tallahassee, Fla., and the baseball tournament will be in St. Petersburg, Fla., May 21-26.

The Tar Heels dominance extends beyond the 15-year streak. UNC has won as many or more titles than the other league school in 19 of the past 20 years and 20 of the past 22 years. The last time Carolina went two successive years without claiming the most ACC titles was 1978-79 and 1979-80.