NC State Wolfpack

The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for college football) as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports since the 1953–54 season. The athletic teams of the Wolfpack compete in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the ACC and has won ten national championships: four NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles under other sanctioning bodies. Most NC State fans and athletes recognize the rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels as their biggest.

NC State Wolfpack
Logo
UniversityNorth Carolina State University
ConferenceACC
NCAADivision I (FBS)
Athletic directorBoo Corrigan
LocationRaleigh, North Carolina
Varsity teams22
Football stadiumCarter–Finley Stadium
Basketball arenaPNC Arena
Baseball stadiumDoak Field
Softball stadiumCurtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium
Soccer stadiumDail Soccer Field
Aquatics centerWillis R. Casey Aquatics Center
Other venuesReynolds Coliseum
Paul Derr Track & Field Facility
J. W. Isenhour Tennis Center
Lonnie Poole Golf Course
MascotMr. Wuf & Mrs. Wuf
NicknameWolfpack
ColorsRed and white[1]
   
Websitegopack.com

The primary logo for NC State athletics is a red block 'S' with an inscribed 'N' and 'C'. The block S has been in use since 1890 but has seen many alterations through the years. The color red was adopted from the state bird, the cardinal. It became the sole logo for all NC State athletic teams in 2000 and was modernized to its current design in 2006.

NC State athletic teams are nicknamed the 'wolfpack'. The name was unofficially adopted in 1921 following an unsigned letter to the NC State Alumni News suggesting the moniker "Wolf Pack".[2] Prior to the adoption of the current nickname, North Carolina State athletic teams went by such names as the Aggies, the Techs, the Red Terrors, and Farmers.[3]

Sports sponsored
Men's Sports Women's Sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballCross Country
Cross CountryGolf
FootballGymnastics
GolfSoccer
SoccerSoftball
Swimming & DivingSwimming & Diving
TennisTennis
Track and Field†Track and Field†
WrestlingVolleyball
† – Track and Field includes both indoor and outdoor.
Atlantic Coast Conference logo in NC State's colors

Baseball
Main article: NC State Wolfpack baseball
See also: 2021 NC State Wolfpack baseball team
  • Head Coach: Elliott Avent
  • Stadium: Doak Field
  • ACC Championships: 5 (1968, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1992)
  • CWS appearances: 3 (1968, 2013, 2021)

Men's basketball
Main article: NC State Wolfpack men's basketball
  • Head Coach: Kevin Keatts
  • Arena: PNC Arena
  • National Championships: 2 (1974, 1983)
  • Southern Conference Championships: 7 (1929, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952)
  • ACC Championships: 10 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1983, 1987)

The above record of conference titles does not include regular season 1st place finishes as championships – the ACC recognizes only the winner of the ACC Tournament as its champion.

Women's basketball
Main article: NC State Wolfpack women's basketball
See also: 2021–22 NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team
  • Head Coach: Wes Moore
  • Arena: Reynolds Coliseum
  • ACC Championships (regular season): 6 (1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1990, 2022)
  • ACC Championships (ACC Tournament): 7 (1980, 1985, 1987, 1991, 2020, 2021, 2022)

Men's cross country
  • Head Coach: Rollie Geiger
  • NCAA Southeast Region Championships: 9 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2018)
  • ACC Championships: 16 (1953, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011)

Women's cross country
  • NCAA Southeast Region Championships: 10 (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)
  • ACC Championships: 28 (1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

The women's cross country team has competed in more NCAA championships than any other school in the nation (25). Additionally the Wolfpack women's cross country team has won more ACC cross country championships (28) than all other schools combined[4] and are the most by an ACC women’s program in any sport.[5]

†AIAW Women's National Championships

Football
Main article: NC State Wolfpack football
See also: 2022 NC State Wolfpack football team
  • Head Coach: Dave Doeren
  • Stadium: Carter–Finley Stadium
  • ACC Championships: 7 (1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1973, 1979)
  • Southern Conference Championships: 1 (1927)
  • South Atlantic Intercollegiate Championships: 3 (1907, 1910, 1913)
  • Bowl games: 30 (16-13-1)

Golf

Gymnastics
  • Head Coach: Kim Landrus
  • Stadium: Reynolds Coliseum
  • ACC Championships: 1 (1984)
  • EAGL Championships: 6 (1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2018)

Men's soccer
Main article: NC State Wolfpack men's soccer
  • Head Coach: George Kiefer
  • Stadium: Dail Soccer Field
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16 (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019)
  • ACC Regular Season Championships: 1 (1994)
  • ACC Tournament Championships: 1 (1990)

Women's soccer
Main article: NC State Wolfpack women's soccer
  • Head Coach: Tim Santoro
  • Stadium: Dail Soccer Field
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16 (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
  • NCAA Tournament Finalist: 1 (1988)
  • ACC Regular Season Championships: 1 (1988)
  • ACC Tournament Championships: 1 (1988)

Softball
Main article: NC State Wolfpack softball

Swimming and diving
  • Head Coach: Braden Holloway
  • Stadium: Willis R. Casey Aquatics Center
  • National Champions (Individual): 26[6]
  • ACC Championships (Men's): 32 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1992, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023[7])
  • ACC Championships (Women's): 4 (1979,1980, 2017, 2019)

Men's tennis
  • Head Coach: Kyle Spencer
  • Stadium: J. W. Isenhour Tennis Center
  • ACC Team Championships: 2 (1978, 1979)
  • ACC Singles Champions: 4 (1978, 1979, 1997, 1998)
  • ACC Doubles Champions: 5 (1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1992)
  • notable former players: John Sadri, Roberto Bracone

Women's tennis

Track and field
  • Head Coach: Rollie Geiger and Laurie Henes
  • Stadium: Paul Derr Track & Field Facility
  • National Champions (Men's Individual - outdoor): 2
  • National Champions (Women's Individual - indoor): 2
  • National Champions (Women's Individual - outdoor): 11
  • ACC Championships (Men's): (Indoor - 1988)(Outdoor - 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996)

Volleyball

Wrestling
  • Head Coach: Pat Popolizio
  • Stadium: Reynolds Coliseum
  • NCAA National Champions (Individual): 8
  • NCAA All-Americans: 32
  • ACC Championships: 20 (1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023[10])

North Carolina State University's wrestling team was established in 1925 and goes by the team nickname of the "Wolfpack". Pat Popolizio was named head wrestling coach for the Wolfpack on April 10, 2012. Popolizio was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Oklahoma State University. The wrestling team competes at home on campus in the Reynolds Coliseum.[11]

In 2012, Popolizio left his previous program, Binghamton University, with All-American heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski leaving with him. After redshirting for a year (to avoid losing a year of eligibility per NCAA transfer rules), Gwiazdowski won national titles in 2014 and 2015, becoming the first Wolfpack wrestler to win consecutive titles.

During the 2015–16 season, North Carolina State went as high as number two in the national rankings and had the school record for most wins in a single season. The Wolfpack finished tied for fourth at the 2018 NCAA Tournament, sharing a distinction with Virginia Tech's wrestling team in 2016, as the highest tournament finish for an ACC team.

Other sports

NC State also competes in one other coed varsity sport. Another coed sport had been sponsored before being dropped in 2023.

  • Cheerleading: NC State fields a full varsity team in cheerleading coached by Harold Trammel, named head cheerleading coach for the Wolfpack in May 2002. The team has won 3 Universal Cheerleading Association national championships, 4 National Cheerleading Association national championships & 2 Universal Cheerleading Association national championships in the Group Stunt competition.

NC State sponsored a rifle team from 1958 to 2023. In recent decades, this was a coed team, as were most NCAA rifle programs; rifle is the only NCAA sport in which men and women compete alongside and against one another as equals. The Wolfpack won 10 team titles in the South East Air Rifle Conference, a conference specifically for the air rifle discipline, and had also been a member of the Great America Rifle Conference. Rifle was dropped at the end of the 2022–23 season.[12]

Non-varsity sports

North Carolina State University offers numerous non-varsity and club level sports throughout the year. This includes, but is not limited to; baseball, basketball, cheerleading, crew, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, sailing, soccer, swimming, ultimate frisbee and many others.

The North Carolina State University Men's Rugby Football Club was founded in 1965.[13] NC State plays college rugby in the Atlantic Coast Rugby League against its traditional ACC rivals. The NC State rugby team is led by head coach Jim Latham.[14] The Wolfpack plays their home games at the Upper Method Road Field. NC State won the Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s tournament in 2010 and 2011.[15] The Wolfpack finished 13th at the 2011 USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships. NC State finished 12th at the 2012 Collegiate Rugby Championship, a tournament broadcast live on NBC from PPL Park in Philadelphia. NC State scored a notable upset against #7 ranked Davenport to reach the finals of the 2012 ACI 7s tournament in Blacksburg, only to lose in the final to host Virginia Tech.[16] In 2018, the Wolfpack won the USA Rugby Division II National Championship over Wisconsin-Whitewater and would add the USA Rugby College Sevens National Championship in 2019.

As the university's oldest active sports club, the NC State Sailing Club was founded in 1954, and since 1973 has fielded a competitive intercollegiate co-ed fleet racing team. The program added a women's sailing team in 2013, and an offshore yacht-racing program in 2016.[17] With their home facility at Lake Crabtree County Park, the "SailPack,"[18] as the club is known, competes in the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association,[19] a division of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA). The SailPack has reached the SAISA regional championship consecutively for the past 14 seasons, and as of 2018 is the highest ranking active program in North Carolina ahead of Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Wilmington, Wake Forest, UNC-Charlotte, ECU, and Davidson.[18] Lake Crabtree is also the home venue for NC State's annual Triangle Tango Regatta[20] which features college sailing teams from each active program in North Carolina. Additional dinghy and offshore coastal training activities for the SailPack are located in Oriental, North Carolina where NC State Sailing hosts a major intercollegiate regatta each spring known as the SailPack Oriental Intercollegiate Regatta.[21] The 2018 edition of this event was the largest-ever one-design, collegiate regatta ever held in North Carolina.[22] NC State Sailing, together with the SailPack Foundation, host community sailing during the summer and teach sailing and racing skills to the public free of charge.

NC State's ski team is a member of the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) and competes in races regularly during the winter season.

NC State ultimate frisbee was established in 1978 and currently participates in the USA Ultimate D-1 men's league. The men's team has had 8 national tournament appearances and won the national championships in 1999.[23]

The NC State men's and women's club hockey team participates in the ACCHL. The Wolfpack has been coached by Mike Gazzillo since 2010, and he has been assisted by Geoff Wing since 2015. The team calls the Raleigh Ice Plex home. Each year, the Wolfpack hosts the Stephen Russell Memorial Tournament to kick off the season in memory of a goaltender for the team from 2006 to 2009. In 2018–19, NC State finished with an undefeated regular season capped off with an ACCHL title, regional championship and a Nationals appearance. The men's team won the ACCHL tournament 4 times (2001, 2019, 2020, 2021). The women's team has won the ACCHL tournament 1 time (2021).

NC State also boasts a growing men's lacrosse team, formerly an NCAA Division I program from 1973 to 1982. Under head coach Chris Demarest, the Wolfpack went 11–3 in 2017 and advanced to the SELC Tournament in Johns Creek, Georgia before falling to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who advanced to the semi-final round of the MCLA D1 national championship.

NC State college bass fishing team won the 2006 and 2012 Collegiate bass fishing series

NC State club sports and intramural championships are covered by PackTV, a division of the Office of Information Technology at the university. PackTV is a student-driven sport channel that is on channel 32.2 on campus as well as streamed online through Apple TV and Roku. Along with intramural championships, club soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and basketball among others, PackTV has also covered varsity-level men's and women's soccer, softball and swimming.

Championships

NCAA team championships

North Carolina State has won 4 NCAA team national championships.[24][25]

Other national team championships
  • Women's (2)
    • Cross Country (2): 1979*, 1980*
* Prior to 1981, the AIAW administered championships in women's cross country. The NCAA held their first women's cross country championship in 1981.

NCAA individual championships

NC State athletes have won 45 NCAA and 7 AIAW individual championships as of November 18, 2022 [24]

Notable alumni

Eleven NC State athletes have won Olympic medals: Tommy Burleson and Kenny Carr in men's basketball; Joan Benoit in the women's marathon; Lucas Kozeniesky in rifle; and Stephen Rerych, Steve Gregg, Dan Harrigan, Duncan Goodhew, David Fox, Cullen Jones, and Ryan Held in swimming.

NC State Fight Song

The words to the Fight Song were written by Hardy Ray, Class of 1926, and the music was written by Edmund L. Gruber in 1908.[27] It is essentially a sped-up version of "The Caisson Song", or more recently, "The Army Goes Rolling Along."[28]

Red and White Song

The Red and White Song is a popular song sung by fans and played by the band at many NC State athletic events, especially at football and basketball games. It was written by J. Perry Watson, a former Director of Music at NC State, and was introduced in 1961; students first sang the "Red and White" song at the NC State – Maryland game on February 13, 1961.[29] The song, although very popular, is in fact not the official Fight Song of NC State.[30] The colors mentioned in the song refer to NC State's main athletic colors, while "Caroline", "Devils", and "Deacs" refer to NC State's rivals: North Carolina, Duke, and Wake Forest.

The NC State Alma Mater

NC State's Alma Mater was written by two students in the early 1920s. Dr. Alvin M. Fountain, a class of '22 alumnus and editor of The Technician, wrote the words, while Bonnie Norris, from the class of 1923, composed the music.[31]

In 2022, N.C. State changed the lyrics from "Where the winds of Dixie softly blow" to "Where the Southern winds so softly blow".[32]

Mascot

Since 1975, the NC State Wolfpack athletic teams have been represented at athletic events by its mascots, Mr. and Mrs. Wuf, who were married on February 28, 1981, by the Demon Deacon at Reynolds Coliseum at halftime of a college basketball game between NC State and Wake Forest. The Demon Deacon presided over the wedding.[33] In print, the "Strutting Wolf" is used and is known by the name "Tuffy." In September 2010, a purebred Tamaskan dog became the new live mascot, "Tuffy".[34][35][36][37][38]

See also

References
  1. NC State Athletics Brand Guide (PDF). January 11, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  2. "Why Is NC State Called the Wolfpack?". NC State University. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  3. http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ncst/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history1-10.pdf
  4. "ACC Cross Country Championships ::: USTFCCCA InfoZone: Meet History ::: USTFCCCA". Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  5. "NC State Women, Wake Forest Men Claim 2022 ACC Cross Country Championships". theacc.com. October 28, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  6. "2 Champions (2023)" (PDF). NC State University Athletics. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  7. "NC State, Virginia Capture 2023 ACC Swim and Dive Championships". theacc.com. February 18, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  8. "National Champs! Jaeda Daniel, Nell Miller win NCAA Doubles Championship". PackPride.com. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  9. "NC State Captures First-Ever ACC Women's Tennis Championship". theacc.com. April 23, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  10. "Wolfpack Wrestling Runs ACC Title Streak to Five Straight". theacc.com. March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  11. "NCSU Wrestling Facts" (PDF). North Carolina State University Athletics. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  12. "NC State to Discontinue Rifle Program" (Press release). NC State Wolfpack. March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  13. Men's Rugby Club at NCSU, Home, http://www.ncstaterugby.com/
  14. Men's Rugby Club at NCSU, Coaches, http://www.ncstaterugby.com/officers/
  15. Atlantic Coast Rugby League, Home, http://www.atlanticcoastrugby.com/index.html
  16. Rugby Mag, Virginia Tech Wins ACI Opener, September 15, 2012, http://rugbymag.com/news/colleges/collegiate-sevens/5788-virginia-tech-wins-aci-opener.html Archived September 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  17. "NC State to Compete in Collegiate Offshore". SailPack Foundation. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  18. "NC State Sailing | SailPack Foundation". NC State Sailing | SailPack Foundation.
  19. SAISA
  20. WRAL. "NC State hosts Triangle Tango regatta :: WRAL.com". WRAL.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  21. "Women's Teams Battle for Semi-Final Berths". www.sailingworld.com. April 5, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  22. "SailPack Regatta 2018 :: TownDock.net". TownDock.net. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  23. "History". College Championships.
  24. "Championships summary through Jan. 1, 2022" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  25. NCAA.com. "North Carolina State women, Northern Arizona men win 2021 NCAA DI cross country championships | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  26. "NC State Cheer Wins Two National Championships at NCA Collegiate Cheer Championship". NC State University Athletics. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  27. "NC State Fight Song".
  28. United States Army Europe Band – The Army Goes Rolling Along (mp3)
  29. "Special Collections Research Center". Technician. NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center, Raleigh. February 9, 1961.
  30. "NC State Traditions – Red and White Song".
  31. "NC State Fight Song & Alma Mater". NC State Wolfpack. September 20, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  32. Jaschik, Scott (February 22, 2022). "N.C. State Removes Word 'Dixie' From Alma Mater". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  33. Hager, Josh (February 14, 2011). "Mr. and Mrs. Wuf Got Married". North Carolina State University Libraries. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  34. Tuffy's mascot tryout at game pleases N.C. State officials September 2010
  35. NC State to use Tamaskan Dog for Mascot September 2010
  36. The Cutest Live College Mascots September 2010
  37. Tuffy Tamaskan September 2010
  38. Tuffy's Page October 2010
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