Graduate forward DJ Burns celebrates with the pep band after winning the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game against Duke at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sunday, March 31, 2024. Burns led in scoring with 29 points. NC State beat Duke 76-64 to advance to the Final Four.
Graduate forward DJ Burns celebrates with the pep band after winning the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game against Duke at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sunday, March 31, 2024. Burns led in scoring with 29 points. NC State beat Duke 76-64 to advance to the Final Four.
TechSports staff got to cover and witness some of the greatest moments in NC State history this season. Here are some of our favorites.
Aidan Carlson, Assistant Sports Editor
Only in America is a sporting event a sideshow to a delirious edible mascot. It was bittersweet when NC State lost 28-19 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl because the Wolfpack’s chance at its second 10-win season was ruined.
The Pop-Tarts mascot’s deranged shenanigans captivated not just NC State and football fans, but the entire world. It was an honor to share the stage with such a creature, even if it was just for 60 minutes. A crazy season had an even crazier end, and for that, my favorite sports moment was NC State at the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Colby Trotter, Sports Editor
NC State women’s basketball entered the season unranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll after a disappointing season that saw it lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Before that season, it was fresh off three straight ACC Championships, but a down season led to low expectations this year.
The Wolfpack quickly showed it belonged back atop the best in the sport when it took down then-No. 2 UConn in just its second game of the regular season. Reynolds Coliseum was electric, and the win was a sign of things to come as the Pack made the Final Four for just the second time in school history.
Preston Sinclair, Staff Writer
NC State men’s basketball ended the regular season with four straight losses and needed to win five games in five days to secure its spot in the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Kevin Keatts and his team achieved just that in the ACC tournament, making history as a 10th seed by winning five consecutive games.
The cherry on top was the Pack’s victories over both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill during this improbable run, solidifying its place in NC State history with a banner that will hang in PNC Arena forever. Seeing red and white confetti in person is a moment I will never forget.
Ben Ellis, Senior Staff Writer
In five years of college as both an NC State fan and a student journalist, my most memorable games have never been separated from the rest by what happens in the game itself; it’s who I get to spend them with. For my last home football game as a student — NC State’s dominant win over UNC on senior night — I was fortunate enough to go with my two best friends throughout my time in Student Media, Ethan Bakogiannis and Hallie Walker.
That night single-handedly made my decision to come back to NC State for one more year of grad school worth it. In college, I’ve stormed the court and the field, rushed the Belltower and seen buzzer-beaters and walk-offs, but the game I took in with Bakogiannis and Walker tops them all, and there’s no two other people I’d have rather spent it with. Plus, it was nice watching the Wolfpack beat up on little brother for the third year in a row.
Erin Ferrare, Staff Writer
It’s so hard to just pick one, but there have been many moments throughout the year where I have gotten emotional seeing the support of women’s athletics by Wolfpack Nation. From NC State volleyball’s shocking win over ranked Louisville, cross country’s third straight national championship and of course the women’s basketball turn-around season, I have never been so proud of the women’s programs.
Every time I go to cover a women’s sport here on campus, there is one specific thing I always look forward to in the stands: seeing the groups of young girls wearing jerseys, yelling at the referees and just all in all having fun. Being able to witness the growth and development of women’s sports up close and personal is something I will never forget. I hope to one day hear about those girls in the stands making it to the WNBA, National Women’s Soccer League, USA Volleyball and so many more professional leagues.
Noah Teague, Staff Writer
There’s been so many incredible moments for NC State athletics that it’s tough to choose just one. Covering many of the football games this past season and seeing the team grow in real time was pretty incredible. Mid-season, I went to Durham and watched NC State only manage three points against Duke. That same team was marching up and down the field by the end of the year against Virginia Tech and UNC — remarkable.
However, my favorite moment has to be covering NC State men’s basketball in the NCAA Tournament. Going to Pittsburgh and Phoenix to watch the Pack make a run of a lifetime felt unreal. From dismantling Texas Tech to breaking upstart Oakland’s heart in the second round, the Wolfpack left its mark in Pittsburgh. To continue the run and go all the way to basketball’s biggest stage in the Final Four was something I’ll never forget.
Gavin Gallimore, Staff Writer
The 2023 NC State football season was certainly one of ups and downs. After getting off to a slow start, the Pack truly turned on the jets as it finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak. Along the way, the Pack defeated several notable teams to finish the season on a high note.
My favorite moment took place when NC State traveled to take on Wake Forest — a game I got to cover. Growing up an NC State fan, I have laid witness to some memorable Wolfpack football teams, but one similar roadblock was the Demon Deacons. The Pack conquered its demons this year as it soundly defeated Wake 26-6. In the first win in Winston-Salem since 2015, it was amazing to watch this team conquer adversity, and getting the chance to cover it was the cherry on top.
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