Raleigh, North Carolina is fortunate to have a large university like North Carolina State. Universities usually encourage more cultural activities, more education and research opportunities and, of course, college sports! If you’re ever looking for something to do in Raleigh, just check the NC State athletics page to see the schedules of your favorite teams. College sports run throughout the academic year, so at almost any time in autumn, winter, or spring, you can find a game or match to attend.
NC State Men’s Basketball
Wolfpack basketball calls PNC Arena in Raleigh home. With regular-season games usually starting mid-October and lasting until the end of February, catching an NC State men’s basketball game is a great way to spend an evening in Raleigh. The Wolfpack usually comes away with a decent record, and games at PNC Arena are a ton of fun. For information about tickets, you can visit the NC State Athletics website.
The Wolfpack has won 10 ACC conference championships and two NCAA titles – one in 1974 and one in 1983. Although the Wolfpack plays in PNC Arena now, they used to play in Reynolds Coliseum. Reynolds Coliseum is now home to the women’s basketball team at NC State.
NC State Women’s Basketball
NC State women’s basketball has a long history in college basketball. Legendary coach Kay Yow made the team a dominant force in women’s basketball, but the team wasn’t seeing as many successes in the last several years. That changed when the Wolfpack won the ACC title in 2020, reversing almost three decades of no conference championship. Seeing NC State women’s basketball is a fun way to spend time in Raleigh, to witness part of the team’s long tradition.
NC State Football
Basketball games are the perfect winter activity in Raleigh, but what about autumn? Autumn is for football! The Wolfpack plays at Carter-Finley Stadium and since 2010, has resurrected the old tradition of having a live mascot present at the games. Currently, a wolf-like dog named Tuffy presides over NC State’s home football games. The Wolfpack has seven ACC conference championships and has played in 31 bowl games.
Games start in August and end in November, with usually one game per week on Saturdays. Football games involve more than just watching the match, though. There’s also tailgating beforehand, where you can grill out and play lawn games while you wait for the game to start. When you’ve factored tailgating and watching the game in, you’ve accounted for almost your entire Saturday! Home football games are a great way to spend a day out in Raleigh.
These are only a few of the biggest sports at NC State. There’s also softball, men’s soccer, women’s golf, baseball, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, wrestling, and volleyball. Indeed, sports fans always have something to do in Raleigh.