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 twelve national championships: six 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.
The logo for NC State athletics is a wolf head wearing a sailor cap. The wolf depicted is known by NC State fans as "Tuffy" (not to be confused with the on-site mascots, Mr. and Ms. Wuf). The wolf head logo was preceded by the block S logo, which consisted of an 'N' and a 'C' inscribed in a larger 'S'.
NC State athletic teams are nicknamed the 'Wolfpack'. The name was unofficially adopted by the football program in 1921 following an unsigned letter to the NC State Alumni News suggesting the moniker "Wolf Pack". Other varsity teams of that era were called the "Red Terrors" until 1948, when a campus-wide vote chose "Wolfpack" as the nickname for all varsity teams. 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.
Sports sponsored Baseball Basketball Basketball Cross Country Cross Country Golf Football Gymnastics Golf Soccer Soccer Softball Swimming & Diving Swimming & Diving Tennis Tennis Track and Field† Track and Field† Wrestling Volleyball
Baseball
Head Coach: Elliott Avent Stadium: Doak Field ACC Championships: 5 (1968, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1992) CWS appearances: 4 (1968, 2013, 2021, 2024)
Men's basketball
Head Coach: Justin Gainey Arena: Lenovo Center National Championships: 2 (1974, 1983) Southern Conference Championships: 7 (1929, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952) ACC Championships: 11 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1965, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1983, 1987, 2024) 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
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)
Cross country Men's cross country Head Coach: Laurie Henes 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 Head Coach: Laurie Henes National Championships (Team): 6 (1979†, 1980†, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025) National Champions (Individual): 6 (1979†, 1980†, 1981, 1983, 1985, 2022) (1979) Julie Shea (1980) Julie Shea (1981) Betty Springs (1983) Betty Springs (1985) Suzie Tuffey (2022) Katelyn Tuohy
NCAA Southeast Region Championships: 13 (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) ACC Championships: 30 (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, 2023, 2025) 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 (30) than all other schools combined and are the most by an ACC women's program in any sport.
†AIAW Women's National Championships
Football
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: 37 (18-18-1)
Golf Head Coach: Press McPhaul and Darby Sligh Course: Lonnie Poole Golf Course National Championships (Men's individual): 1 (2009 Matt Hill) ACC Championships (Men's): 1 (1990)
Gymnastics Head Coach: Kim Landrus Stadium: Reynolds Coliseum ACC Championships: 2 (1984, 2024) EAGL Championships: 6 (1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2018)
Men's soccer
Head Coach: Marc Hubbard Stadium: Dail Soccer Field NCAA Tournament Appearances: 18 (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025) ACC Regular Season Championships: 1 (1994) ACC Tournament Championships: 1 (1990)
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
Head Coach: Lindsay Leftwich Stadium: Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium ACC Championships: 2 (2006, 2013)
Swimming and diving Head Coach: Braden Holloway Stadium: Willis R. Casey Aquatics Center National Champions (Individual): 26 ACC Championships (Men's): 33 (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, 2024) 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 Head Coach: Simon Earnshaw Stadium: J. W. Isenhour Tennis Center National Champions: 2 Doubles - 2022– Jaeda Daniel/Nell Miller Doubles - 2025 - Gabbi Broadfoot/Tori Osuigwe ACC Team Championships: 2 (2023, 2026)
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 Head Coach: Megan Wargo-Kearney Stadium: Reynolds Coliseum ACC Tournament Champions: 1 (1987)
Wrestling Head Coach: Pat Popolizio Stadium: Reynolds Coliseum NCAA National Champions (Individual): 10 NCAA All-Americans: 59 ACC Championships: 21 (1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
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 their home matches in the Reynolds Coliseum.
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 multiple titles.
During the 2016 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, the programs highest finish at the national championships.
10 Individual NCAA Championships: (1980) Matt Reiss 167 lbs (1984) Tab Thacker Heavyweight (1988) Scott Turner 150 lbs (1993) Sylvester Terkay Heavyweight (2009) Darrion Caldwell 149 lbs (2014, 2015) Nick Gwiazdowski Heavyweight (2018) Michael Macchiavello 197 lbs (2025) Vincent Robinson 125 lbs (2026) Isaac Trumble Heavyweight
Cheerleading NC State also competes in one coed varsity sport.
Head Coach: Jennifer Marks UCA National Titles: Championships: (3) 1986, 1990, 1991 NCA National Titles: Championships: (5) 2001, 2016, 2018 (Small Coed), 2018 (Gameday), 2023 UCA National Titles: Group Stunt (3) 2016, 2020, 2024
Cheerleading: NC State fields a full varsity cheerleading team, which is currently coached by head coach Jennifer Marks. The team has achieved impressive success, winning 3 national championships from the Universal Cheerleading Association, 4 national championships from the National Cheerleading Association, and 3 national championships in the Group Stunt competition from the Universal Cheerleading Association.
Rifle 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.
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.Men's Rugby Club at NCSU, Home 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.Men's Rugby Club at NCSU, Coaches 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.Atlantic Coast Rugby League, Home 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. 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.