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It’s a talking point that has constantly been discussed for years at NC State. Most of the time the debate is over the student section.

The big time football fans are disgusted by the inability to get the student section filled by kickoff and the start of the second half. The more basic fan does not really see the issue and views football Saturday as more of a day-drinking, Bojangles catered party where a football game breaks out.

A few days ago, NC State’s student newspaper, The Technician, touched on this very issue in their commentary titled “NC State student section first to file out.” In this piece, the author touches on these issues from the perspective of a serious Wolfpack football fan and makes some good points as to why this has become a problem in her eyes.

NC State has tried to fix these problems many times during the years, threatening to limit ability to leave the stadium at half time and come back in. However,  many believed that would decrease filling in the student section even more, since people may still leave and now would not be able to re-enter.

Reading the article, the Technician makes the case that Football is more important than tailgating and if you are lucky enough to get a ticket you should be in the stadium cheering on your team. A good point, understood by those who are diehard fans.

On the other hand, the argument from some students are that they are paying the tuition fees too and they can use their ticket however they please. To some, the tailgate is the draw. The time drinking or eating Bojangles out in the cool fall breeze is the fun part, and the football game is just the catalyst for bringing everyone together. Again, a fair point likely understood by those who have pride in being a Wolfpacker, but aren’t as diehard a fan of the actual sport.

Complaining about the divide in these two mindsets is fun and makes for an interesting and ongoing debate, but it’s not going to change anything. Creating rules or regulations around getting to your seat on time or staying in the stadium might be counterproductive as well. So what’s the fix?

I honestly don’t know if there is a controllable fix. Tailgating is something that NC State does well and something they are known for. It holds a lot of memories for a lot of former State students. It’s a part of the culture and something that makes attending college in Raleigh pretty special. I think the byproduct of that is that sometimes, for some people,  the excitement of the tailgate trumps the excitement of  the actual game.

For instance, we at Pack Insider watch every single play of every single game, and we did that before we owned or worked at this website. We’d consider ourselves diehard fans. However, some fans don’t really feel like they need to see every single play to get the gist of whats going on in the game. Do those people not deserve tickets? Some will say yes, but their tuition statement says otherwise.

We’ve been around this program for quite some time, and while we don’t have the exact attendance numbers, we can tell you that there is a noticeable correlation between how good a team NC State has and how packed the student section stays. There is also a noticeable correlation between how big the stakes are of an individual game and how packed the student section stays. If NC State builds a team that is an ACC powerhouse year-in-and-year-out every game will matter, and if every game really matters (again this is subjective) then I don’t believe this conversation happens. But until then, the discussion will rage on.

Where do you stand?

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Is this really a thing?
Is this really a thing?
7 years ago

I started at NC State in 1998 when Mike O’Cain was coach. What was our record then? 7-5. We are still a 7 win per season program after spending hundreds of millions of dollars into facilities, coaching changes, new uniforms, and fancy scoreboards. The one thing that has improved? Our game day environment and attendance. We set a season ticket sales record despite continued mediocrity.

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The All Knowing
The All Knowing
7 years ago

I know you hardcore football fans don’t like it, but without the tailgate, do you think you would get nearly the support in the stadium that you do now? Do you think those kids would take the time to make it out to the stadium just to go watch a sub-par football team? Until we put a quality product on the field to contend with the top of the ACC, be glad you have a tailgate worth going too.

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James Vernon
James Vernon
7 years ago

We as State fans have an important job…..support the damn team …..I could care less about the tailgating, nice but an afterthought to me .I’m there to see the game and leave with no voice left…my daughter is a junior at State and the students leave a lot to be desired…..let’s take the good parts of the idiot clempson fans and turn CF in to a REAL advantage!

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NC State Football

Auburn Transfer Linebacker Cam Riley Decommits from NC State

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7 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Auburn Transfer Linebacker Cam Riley (6’5″/242) announced tonight that he is decommitting from NC State.

Back on February 26th, Riley verbally committed to NC State. Players out of the Transfer Portal don’t sign a National Letter of Intent like players out of high school, making it easier for them to change their mind.

247Sports and ESPN both ranked Riley as a Top-300 4-Star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #229 overall player nationally in the 2020 class, the #14 Outside Linebacker, and the #10 player in the state of Alabama.

In 2020 and 2021, Riley played in 22 total games (2 starts), playing in 160 snaps, tallying 23 tackles. In 2022, Riley broke out, starting in 7 of the 11 games, ranking 2nd on the team in tackles, with 65.

This past season, Riley played in 13 games, but only started in 1. He had 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. His PFF grade of 66.7 was the highest of his career.

Over 4 seasons, Riley played in 46 games (10 starts) for Auburn, tallying 948 snaps.

In my mind, there was a good chance that Riley was going to earn the starting role at the SAM Linebacker position at NC State, with Sean Brown at the WILL and Caden Fordham at the MIKE.

Unless NC State grabs a Linebacker out of the Portal now, I would expect Redshirt Freshman Kelvon McBride to be at the starting SAM position at the beginning of Fall Camp.

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NC State Football

ON3: NC State’s Dave Doeren is 1 of the Top-25 Best Coaches in College Football

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14 hours ago

on

April 25, 2024

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ON3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the Top-25 College Football Coaches heading into the 2024 season, and NC State’s Dave Doeren ranks 23rd.

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Here’s what Simonton had to say about Doeren:

23. Dave Doeren, NC State

Doeren became the Wolfpack’s all-time winningest head coach last season, overcoming all manors of offensive ineptitude to win eight games for the fourth straight season. He still hasn’t busted through the glass ceiling and taken NC State to an ACC Championship, but the Wolfpack have legitimate conference title hopes in 2024 with the offseason work Doeren has done via the portal (quarterback Grayson McCall, tailbacks Jordan Waters and Hollywood Smothers and receivers Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes). 

In 11 seasons in Raleigh, Doeren’s program has been steadily consistent and has become a model for development (17 NFL Draft picks since 2018) and strength and conditioning. (ON3)

ACC Coaches in the Top-25

6. Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

7. Mike Norvell (FSU)

20. Jeff Brohm (Louisville)

23. Dave Doeren (NC State)

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NC State Football

NC State has Produced 19 1st Round NFL Draft Picks

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23 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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The 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft will begin this evening at 8pm on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. NC State has had 19 players drafted in the 1st round.

NC State ranks 8th in ACC history in 1st Round Picks.

Three of the Wolfpack’s 1st Round Picks have come under Dave Doeren’s watch, which ranks 2nd all-time in school history. Chuck Amato had 5 players drafted in the 1st round, which is the most ever under a coach at NC State.

Chuck Amato – 5
Dave Doeren – 3
Mike O’Cain – 2
Dick Sheridan – 2
Bo Rein – 2
Earle Edwards – 2

While most projections don’t have Wolfpack Linebacker Payton Wilson going in the 1st round tonight, a few do. Wilson was invited to attend the NFL Draft, but he will be tuning in from his home in Hillsborough. We’ll have to tune in tonight to see if Wilson hears his name called on the 1st night of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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NC State Football

WATCH QB Grayson McCall’s Tape from the 2024 NC State Spring Game

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State will have a new Quarterback in 2024 in Coastal Carolina Transfer Grayson McCall. A few weeks back, McCall looked sharp in the 2024 Spring Game, completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 205 yards and a touchdown. McCall was accuracy and composure were evident in his first time playing in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Check out McCall’s tape from the Spring Game.

 

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