In 1996, they started college and were roommates at North Carolina State University, where Link studied industrial engineering and Rhett studied civil engineering. Rhett graduated magna cum laude in December 2000, and Link graduated summa cum laude in May 2001. They worked in their respective fields for a time, Link at IBM and Rhett at Black & Veatch. They also made videos and performed comedy sketches for a religious organization, Cru. During their time at Cru, they began developing their signature comedy style as a duo, subsequently deciding to become full-time entertainers.