NC State and Clemson have been playing one another since 1899, and have been members of the ACC together since its inception in 1953, and have played each other annually since 1971, but the Textile Bowl didn’t become a thing until 1981.
The textile industry historically was a backbone of the economy of both North and South Carolina, and NC State and Clemson historically have been two of the more prominent universities focused on textiles.
As a result, the Textile Bowl was created in 1981 by a joint effort between the two schools, to raise awareness of the importance of the textile industry on the economic development of their respective states.
In the past, textile students from one school, would travel to the opposing school the week prior to the game, to promote the impact of their school on the textile industry.
The winner of the Textile Bowl on an annual basis gets to keep the Textile Bowl Trophy, which is currently residing in Raleigh after the Wolfpack defeated the Tigers 24-17 last season.
Since the inception of the Textile Bowl in 1981, NC State is 12-28 in the series.