Saturday’s game will be ECU’s first sell out since 2016, when they beat the Wolfpack. Does it matter?

The ECU / NC State game is officially sold out, according to Sutton Young from WITN News.

ECU’s opener against NC State is officially a sell-out.

This marks the first time the stadium has been sold out since the Pirates beat State back in 2016.

— Sutton Young (@SuttonYoungTV) September 2, 2022

This sell-out is the first time Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium has been at capacity since NC State visited in 2016. The part of the story that us Pack fans won’t want to hear, is that ECU ended up winning that game.

So does it matter?

This IS ECU’s Super Bowl. This is the game they’ve had circled on their schedule all off-season. They are going to be hyped up, and a stadium full of fans is going to be just revved up and ready for an upset.

But I’m not scared, and part of the reason I’m not is that this is game #1, the season opener. NC State is focused on this game. There’s a ton of anticipation for this game and there’s no doubt that this team will be able to match the energy that ECU is bringing.

Look, I’d be a lot more concerned if this game was taking place on week 4, after a few hard-fought wins and sandwiched in there right before the Clemson game. Heading to ECU for the game of their season, right before the game of YOURS. Yeah, then I’d be nervous.

But right now? Nah, I don’t think a full stadium matters much to the Wolfpack. And I don’t think any comparison to 2016 really matters. That was a totally different team. That was Ryan Finley’s 2nd game as a starter with NC State. The team was coming off a shaky season a year before, and Dave Doeren still didn’t have a winning season in conference over his first 3 seasons.

That was a whole different time for NC State football. A time no one wants to revisit.

This is a new day. A team and fanbase that are together. A veteran QB who knows the system. A defense who has already proved themselves. And I dont think going on the road and playing in front of raucous fans is going to bother them. In fact, I think they’re going to welcome it.