In the beautiful city of Raleigh, North Carolina is the home of the NC State Wolfpack and their football stadium Carter Finley. Carter Finley was built in 1966 and has been, and always will be the Packs stomping ground. The Wolfpack have an amazing record of 411-225 with numerous upsets. Some of the biggest were the upset of number 2 Florida State in 1998, and in 2021 against Clemson. The Packs most recent upset was on November first against Georgia Tech. They went 6-1 in the past season taking down their rivals UNC 42-19. The Wolfpack are looking to increase their win total going into the 2026-2027 season with their third year quarterback CJ Bailey and win the battle for the “Ole North State”once again.
On September 12, 1998, unranked NC State hosted second-ranked Florida State at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Seminoles, led by Bobby Bowden and featuring future NFL star Chris Weinke at quarterback, were 25-point favorites. Vegas didn't give the Wolfpack a chance. What followed was the biggest upset in NC State football history. Weinke threw a school-record six interceptions as Florida State's offense completely collapsed against a Wolfpack defense that refused to break. Wide receiver Torry Holt—who would become a seven-time Pro Bowler—burned the Seminoles repeatedly, scoring on a 68-yard punt return and catching a 63-yard touchdown pass from Jamie Barnette that sealed the victory. The final score: NC State 24, Florida State 7. The 50,800 fans at Carter-Finley stormed the field in what remains one of the most memorable nights in ACC football history. For Florida State, it was a rare early-season humiliation during their dynasty years. For NC State, it was validation—proof that Carter-Finley could be a house of horrors for ranked opponents. The Wolfpack would pull similar upsets over the years, but none quite matched the shock of a 25-point underdog dismantling the second-best team in America.
Between 2000 and 2010, NC State's quarterback room produced two future NFL stars who would combine for 18 Pro Bowl selections—more than any other college program's quarterbacks during that span. Philip Rivers (2000-2003) set records that still stand. He threw for 13,484 career yards and 95 touchdowns—both ACC all-time records at the time. In 2003, he completed 72% of his passes for 4,491 yards and 34 touchdowns, finishing seventh in Heisman voting and winning ACC Player of the Year. The New York Giants drafted him fourth overall in 2004, then immediately traded him to San Diego for Eli Manning in one of the most famous draft-day swaps ever. Russell Wilson (2008-2010) arrived and made his own history. He became the first freshman quarterback ever named first-team All-ACC—unprecedented in conference history. Wilson was so talented that when he left for Wisconsin to play his final college season, he led the Badgers to a Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl while setting the FBS single-season passer rating record. Combined, Rivers and Wilson have made 18 Pro Bowl appearances (10 for Wilson, 8 for Rivers), won a Super Bowl (Wilson with Seattle in 2014), and thrown for over 100,000 NFL passing yards between them. Both wore the same Wolfpack uniform within the same decade.
The NC State Wolfpack represent North Carolina State University, competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference from Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, the state capital. The Wolfpack embody toughness and resilience, with a fanbase that packs the stadium and creates a formidable home environment. NC State has cultivated an identity as a program that develops overlooked talent and produces NFL-ready players, especially along the defensive line. The program competes in the ACC's Atlantic Division, with the annual rivalry games against North Carolina and Wake Forest defining the season. Wolfpack fans bring blue-collar passion to a program that has often exceeded expectations under the right leadership.
NC State football began in 1892, and the program has spent over a century in the shadow of North Carolina and Duke while carving out its own identity. The Wolfpack won the 1967 ACC championship and reached the pinnacle under Lou Holtz in the 1970s. Philip Rivers rewrote the record books as NC State's quarterback before his legendary NFL career. Torry Holt, Mario Williams, and Bradley Chubb are among the many NFL stars. The rivalry with North Carolina—the longest continuous rivalry in the ACC—divides the Research Triangle. NC State's motto, 'Think and Do,' reflects both the university's land-grant mission and the program's underdog spirit.
Source: Claude