NC State vs. UNC matters. Why the football rivalry is a ‘big deal’ for the Wolfpack
.JPG "N.C. State quarterback CJ Bailey (16) jumps over North Carolina linebacker Amare Campbell (17) during the first half of N.C. State’s game against UNC at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.")
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Triangle proximity places rival programs within 22 miles, splitting local loyalties.
- Coaches and players treat the UNC game as a major rivalry; newcomers learn history.
- Recent wins and moments underscore stakes — unbeaten players, 2022 double OT finish.
The N.C. State football team’s previous hotel, where it stayed before home games, featured Wolfpack merchandise in the lobby gift shop. That part was great. It also carried North Carolina and Duke gear. Not so great.
Head coach Dave Doeren said on Monday he recalled thinking, “Man, this is our team hotel. That shouldn’t be there.”
But that’s how it is in the Triangle. N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium is 22 miles from Wallace Wade Stadium at Duke and Kenan Stadium at UNC.
Doeren said the geographic footprint makes the rivalry unique. Even East Carolina and Wake Forest are within 100 miles. Sometimes he’ll be talking with N.C. State boosters who introduce their wives. Then, Doeren said, they immediately apologize for saying, “She went to Carolina” or “She went to Duke.” Households and relationships across the area often feature split loyalties.
Even Wolfpack head coach Will Wade’s wife, Lauren, attended UNC for her undergraduate degree. (For the record, she told the News & Observer in August she is fully committed to her husband and N.C. State.)
“It’s not like that in most places,” Doeren said. “It’s not. And, it’s very rare to have rivalries this close together and have three of them like that.”
N.C. State wide receiver Wesley Grimes grew up in Raleigh and started his career at Wake Forest. He said on Tuesday the region has a “good mix of everybody” and it’s fun to run into rival fans, talk trash and own bragging rights.
The Demon Deacons are considered one of the Wolfpack’s rivals, but Grimes said it’s different with the Tar Heels.
“The vibe just feels a little more intense and feels more like a rivalry,” Grimes said.
Despite having new players on the roster, everyone understands the significance of the game. Doeren said players like Sabastian Harsh, who grew up in Nebraska and started his career at Wyoming, receive education on the history and significance, but there aren’t concerns whether the new guys will be excited.
“It’s not a game you have to hype your guys up for,” Doeren said. “It’s really evident here.”
Favorite NC State-UNC memories
Linebacker Caden Fordham will walk on Saturday during senior day activities. This will be his fifth game against the in-state program, and he’s never lost. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series, 68-40-6, with the Wolfpack going 8-4 under Doeren. N.C. State seeks its first five-game winning streak for the second time since 2000. It previously won five in a row from 2007-11.
Fordham said one of his favorite rivalry memories took place in 2022. N.C. State defeated UNC, 30-27, in double overtime to pick up its second straight win.
Kicker Christopher Dunn made three field goals, two of which were in overtime, to help win. Meanwhile, Drake Thomas and Payton Wilson combined for 21 tackles, including 15 solo. Thomas recorded one sack and two tackles for loss, and Wilson contributed one TFL and a pair of quarterback pressures.
“When Drake and Peyton were both playing really well, they were here playing against Drake Maye,” Fordham said of the former Carolina QB. “I just remember being a young guy watching them play against UNC, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is so awesome.’”
In 2021, Emeka Emezie caught a 24-yard pass from Devin Leary to take a four-point lead over the Tar Heels in the final minute of the game.
“It’s a big deal, and it’s a big deal to this program, to the team, the players, coaching staff,” Grimes said, saying they want the energy to be contagious. “It’s a real rivalry. The history is deep, so it’s at the end of the day. It is another game, and we’re going to prepare like it’s just a regular game, but it’s a rivalry, and it’s a big deal for us.”
Does NC State have more motivation with Bill Belichick coaching UNC?
N.C. State players don’t seem to care who is on the opposite sideline. They want to win. Last year, shortly after Bill Belichick was hired, defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland said it would be “cool to tell my kids.”
Offensive lineman Anthony Carter, who is in completing his sixth season with the Pack, said on Tuesday the team has the same approach. This time, “it just happens to be Bill Belichick.” N.C. State wants to be dominant and execute its game plan, Carter said. There’s no extra motivation.
Quarterback CJ Bailey, however, set the stage nearly a year ago for the matchup. At the same time Cleveland brushed off the question about the former NFL coach, the young offensive star had a clear message.
“Bill Belichick better get into it. We’re going five years [in a row],” Bailey said last December. “No matter who the coach is for UNC, we’re going to go kick them.
“It means a lot that I could play against Bill Belichick and meet him. But, shoot, if he comes to play, we’re gonna kill him.”
