NC State Athletics

The North Carolina State University Athletics department exists to meet the social financial needs of all the sports teams at North Carolina State University. The non-profit organization serves the public good through providing services to the social welfare, civic improvement, and member benefits to all the members and coaches of the athletic teams at North Carolina State University.

Baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross-country, football, men’s and women’s golf, coed rifle, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, gymnastics, softball, and volleyball are the sports that are umbrellas of the North Carolina State University Athletic Department. The athletic departments goals are to get the student athletes in peak shape to win a championship. There are many physical, mental, emotional, and psychological factors that must be put into place to best prepare each individual member of the team to win a championship.

When it comes to what they are about “NC State Athletics promotes team and individual success, makes scholarship and educational opportunities available to more than 550 student-athletes, and creates memorable experiences for Wolfpack fans” (Athletics at NC State,2023). The mission statement of the department is “to strengthen the pack through the development of think and do student athletes and its vision statement stating every wolf strengthens the pack” (2021-26 strategic plan,2023). The North Carolina State Athletic Department receives a substantial amount of funding from the Wolfpack Club. According to Wolfpack Club.com (2023), “The mission of the NC State Student Aid Association (Wolfpack Club) is to provide private financial support for athletic scholarships and facilities for NC State University. Additionally, the Student Aid Association provides communication and services for all friends of Wolfpack athletics. All the activities of the Association are done with the highest integrity for academic and athletic excellence and within the guidelines established by the University, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.”The Wolfpack Club plays a substantial role in funding not just football players but all student athletes. The organization of NC State Athletics continues to trend in a positive direction when it comes to sustainability. Thanks to generous donors that want to see the athletics program succeed many athletic facilities on the NC State campus have and continue to undergo consistent renovations and upgrades.

It is truly a unique experience for the coaches, student athletes, and support staff personnel that are fortunate enough to be members of a team which falls under the umbrella regarding the North Carolina State University Athletic Department. This select group of people is provided everything they could possibly need to ensure the success of their specific team. Access to top notch facilities, hotel, meals, travel, and team issued gear are just a few of the impressive amenities that go along with this experience. However, when it comes to experience in general the field is quite the broad one that affects people at all walks of life. I felt it necessary to interview individuals whom of which were able to speak from different viewpoints to fully capture the positive experience opportunity that the organization provides for such a wide range of people. I interviewed a current staff member, long time season ticket holder, alumni, current student, and a current student athlete to fully grasp the positive experience that the organization presents to such a wide variety of people. The current staff member I spoke to referred to his specific experience as, “I would say positive because I feel supported and getting to do what I love to do around like minded individuals.” The current student athlete I interviewed put it like this, “student athletes are provided the opportunity to talk and meet people who have accomplished a lot in their working fields and connect with them.” This individual also emphasized, “the provided outlets to talk about mental health, food, and nutrition for free.” As you can see student athletes here are given a blueprint of how to be successful and how to work hard. There are a lot of experiences that wouldn’t have been possible had they chosen to go elsewhere. The North Carolina State University Athletic Department provides financial backing and support to all the sports that are umbrellas of it. The alumni I interviewed had this to say about his primary experiences regarding the organization, “I have had a lot of great experiences over the years since graduation in 2003. The state of our facilities continues to improve giving us some of the best in the nation for our student athletes to improve their talents while competing at our great university. We have done a tremendous job across the athletic department hiring the best coaches in each sport to maximize our athletic potential and stay competitive at a national level.” The current student that I interviewed labeled his experience in relation to the organization as, “A truly special way to gather as one student body and support the red and white representing our proud school.” The experience of being an NC State student especially on a fall Saturday at Carter Finley Stadium, is one that will stick you for a lifetime." The long-time season ticket holder had this to say about her experience, “The North Carolina State Athletic department does an amazing job of making sure the fans experience a (home sweet home) environment where everybody feels like family." All of these statements highlight the positive effect that NC State Athletics has on such a wide range of individuals. Prior to conducting these interviews, I assured each of these individuals respectively that their identity would be concealed for the sake of their privacy.

The NC State Athletic department allows each sport and department to handle their own budget. Those who oversee each sport or department must make sure they stay within their budget. The budget development is composed of by the Chancellor, Athletic director, Deputy Athletic Director, Senior Associate AD/Leadership, Inclusion & Engagement, Associate AD/Athletics Communications, Associate AD/Community Relations and Fundraising. The deputy AD seems to spearhead more of the women’s sports operations with the AD leaning towards the male side. The Senior Associate AD/Leadership, Inclusion & Engagement ensures that diversity is taking place and that everyone is accounted for. Associate AD/Athletics Communications (football / dept. comms) is the person responsible for facilitating communication amongst and to the athletes; football especially. When it comes to raising money Associate AD/Community Relations and Fundraising is in charge. By assigning each sport their own respective budget the individual responsible for that department must be sure to stay within the budget. The teams that fall under the North Carolina State Athletic Departments jurisdiction regularly host home games at its facilities that many students and members of the community attend. Ticket prices amongst the North Carolina State Athletic Department tend to vary from sport to sport and are greatly influenced by the team’s current ability and record. Football, women’s basketball, and baseball are currently the most consistent and productive of the sports that make up the athletic department. Prices for tickets to these specific athletic events are going to be a bit higher right now than that of the rest of the athletic teams. The NC State Athletic department utilizes a few different strategies and tactics to reach out and positively affect others. These are measurable by the increase in attendance and following of each off its athletic teams. A social media team and video crew is utilized by each the athletic department to gain popularity and following for its programs. Video and post are regularly posted to different social media outlets weekly to get the word out about N.C. State Athletics. Different themes are used by the athletic department for different games throughout the year to raise money and awareness for different organizations such as: play for kay, FFA Day, military appreciation, and many more.

NC State Baseball is a Division I program that competes in the ACC. The goals of NC State baseball are to win ACC and National Championships, develop great baseball players and students who graduate, and help the players reach their goals on and off the field. Led by Elliott Avent, the program has participated in two College World Series, one in 1968 and the other in 2013.  They host all home games at Doak Field, on the west side of central campus.  Doak Field opened in 1966 and was most recently renovated in 2003.  It has a capacity of 3,000. In his 25 years at NC State, Elliott Avent has compiled over 900 wins. NC State Baseball has been ranked in the top 25 in the preseason or postseason poll every season for the last 22 years. NC State always has a loyal fan base. 2019 and 2020 season tickets sold out. ACC home conference games also sold out in 2020. The team has been very successful in recent years.  The team has top prospects nearly every year and consistently makes a postseason run.  The team has made a postseason run in 16 of the last 18 seasons. They have made 4 super regionals in that span as well. The facility is in a very convenient location. It has room for comfortable parking and is located on campus, so it is easy for students to attend. The coaching staff is one of the best in the country. Coach Elliott Avent is well respected across the country from coaches, players, and personnel.  He has compiled over 1,100 head coaching wins in his career.  Associate Head Coach Chris Hart has been named one of the best assistant coaches in the country.  His ability to lead recruiting for the program is the reason why the team consistently ranks in the top 25. The demographics for college baseball and all levels of baseball begins with older white males. Since a majority of the fans in attendance are older white males, they too are positively affected, by NC State Athletics. NC State baseball recruits at both a local and national level. This leads to a positive effect on the members of the baseball team by the athletic department.

The football umbrella regarding NC State Athletics requires the highest level of engagement since it is the sport with the highest budget. When it comes to generating revenue, marketing, or ticket sales across the athletic department the Athletic director, Deputy Athletic Director, Senior Associate AD/Leadership, Inclusion & Engagement, Associate AD/Athletics Communications, and Assistant AD/Director of Strength & Conditioning – Football all work together. While all these individuals work together to facilitate the budget development and approval process the person whose stamp of approval is necessary when it comes to budget development and finances regarding football is the head football coach. Football is the umbrella that holds the title as the biggest money maker regarding ticket revenue. Just this season alone N.C. State football has sold out all of its home games. Saturdays at Carter-Finley Stadium are like nothing you’ve ever experienced. When the fireworks and smoke begin blasting, red LED lights come on and the beat to “swag surfing” drops it will literally take your breath away. In regard to the actual playing surface of Carter- Finley Stadium (Munsey & Suppes 2023) states, “The playing field at Carter Finley Stadium was named Wayne Day Family Field in the spring of 2003 after the Day family pledged $5 million to the Wolfpack Club.” This facility has been fortunate to experience constant improvements throughout its existence thanks to major contributions from boosters. Gopack.com (2023) states, “NC State Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan has announced that TowneBank has committed $5 million to Wolfpack Athletics that will support key upgrades and improvements within Carter-Finley Stadium. In recognition of the gift, the 117,000 square-foot West Side Tower that stretches from endzone to endzone (previously known as C. Richard Vaughn Towers) will be renamed TowneBank Center for a 10-year period.” Thanks to generous donors that want to see the football program succeed Carter-Finley Stadium has and continues to undergo consistent renovations and upgrades. With its home football stadium holding just under 60,000 people it’s not hard to see how the umbrella generates the revenue that it routinely does. A single ticket for a home game will cost you anywhere from $55-$75 depending on that week’s specific opponent. As a whole College Factual (2023) states, “the NC State football program brought home $47,562,641 in revenue, paid out $23,330,277 in total expenses, turned a profit, making $24,232,364 for the school.” This is due in large part to the run of success that the football program has been on lately. While Carter-Finley Stadium has a direct positive impact on the N.C. State Athletic Department it also generates positive impact on the local Wake County economy as well. Carter-Finley Stadium and collegiate athletics in general play an enormous role when it comes to the local Wake County economy. According to (Dinkel, Terhune, & Thomas 2023),” the county made more than $22 million from hotel lodging in 2021 up from $14 million in 2020 and taxes from prepared food and beverages in 2021 brought in $34 million up from $25 million the previous year.” That’s a big chunk of profit for just a single sport. The Wendell H Murphy football center is the headquarters of N.C. State football. The Wendell H Murphy football center is a private facility. The Wendell H. Murphy football center has a unique location that makes it easily accessible for its occupants. According to ncsu.edu (2023), “The building was the second phase of a four-phase renovation improvement project for Carter-Finley Stadium the Murphy Football Center is located behind the south end zone and spans the entire width of the football field.” The fact that the Wendell H. Murphy football center has such a prime location has helped it to be more sustainable. The facility can be used by everyone involved with the football program daily while overlooking the football stadium. This also makes for easy transition from the facility to the game field on Saturdays for all those associated with the football program. The Wendell H. Murphy Football Center is accessible through Gate B off Trinity Rd.According to gopack.com (2023), “the 103,254-square-foot complex houses every aspect of Wolfpack football, from sports medicine, to equipment, to academics, to the strength & conditioning center.” The North Carolina State football program has always been known as a developmental program. This has been established over the years by the strength and conditioning program serving as the backbone of the program. Surprisingly enough the football program at NC State has been able to stay somewhat relevant nationally by recruiting and signing athlete’s other programs viewed as lower ranked and continuously developing them over the course of their career. After the athletes at N.C. State have been in the strength and conditioning program for a few years and they have been thoroughly developed by the strength and conditioning staff. It’s all about turning the negative perspective that comes from the term “developmental program” into a positive perspective. Through the strength and conditioning staff embracing and using the label “developmental program” to its advantage, N. C. State football always has a fighting chance.

Given the successful run of success the women’s basketball team has been on over the last several years they have done more than enough to ensure that tickets for their games are in high demand as well. The NC State Womens basketball program has truly evolved into a dynasty. As stated by Gopack.com (2023), “NC State alumni and loyal Wolfpack women's basketball supporters Gayle and Dwain Lanier have made a generous $250,000 donation toward the program's locker room enhancement plan.” When you’re winning everybody wants to be associated with the program. This continued run of success has allowed the women's basketball program to recruit at an elite level nationally. They have been able to constantly bring in the top recruits from across the country. Play4Kay is an event put on by the N.C. State Athletic Department to raise awareness and money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. According to gopack.com (2023), “The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was officially founded on December 3, 2007, from the vision of Kay Yow, former NC State head women's basketball coach.” Coach Yow’s impact and legacy continues to live on impacting generation after generation. According to gopack.com (2023), “Before her death, she joined forces with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and The V Foundation for Cancer Research to form the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women's cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause.” The N.C. State Women’s Basketball team host the Play4Kay event annually at one home game each season. Last season marked the 18th annual Play4Kay event. Before the game each year there is a cancer survivor reception in Reynolds Coliseum. There is also a survivor celebration at halftime of the game every year. During the survivor celebration cancer survivors are recognized by the number of years they have been cancer free and are able to give their respective testimonies over the PA system to the crowd. Reynolds Coliseum is typically at full capacity when it comes to hosting the Play4Kay event. The N.C. State Women’s basketball team and their opponent that night typically wear some form of pink uniforms. All attendees are encouraged to wear pink to the game to raise awareness for breast cancer. Unfortunately, the Wolfpack women lost last season's Play4Kay game matchup to Virginia Tech however the ultimate win came through the amount of awareness and funds raised for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Play4Kay is another example of the positive affect the athletic department has. This event raises awareness and enhances the image for Wolfpack Athletics through a serving for a tremendous cause which is to raise awareness and money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Play4Kay event also helps to spearhead fundraising efforts and elevates charitable initiatives through getting the message out about the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.  Play4Kay targets a unique public including that of cancer survivors as well as N.C. State Women’s basketball fans. Anybody who knows anything about N.C. State Women’s basketball or women’s basketball in general would love to be associated with this event which contributes as to why it is always sold out.

2021-26 strategic plan (PDF) - NC State University Athletics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://gopack.com/documents/2021/7/14/NC_State_Athletics_Strategic_Plan_2021_26.pdf

Athletics at NC state. NC State University. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from  https://www.ncsu.edu/athletics/ 

College Factual. (2023, December 5). North Carolina State University Athletics Programs. North Carolina State University Athletics Programs - College Factual. Retrieved December 5, 2023 from  https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/student-life/sports/#:~:text=On%20the%20money%20side%20of,college%20sports%20programs%20lose%20money .

Mission statement. NC State Wolfpack Club. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2023, from  https://www.wolfpackclub.com/sports/2015/7/15/WPC_0715153813.aspx 

Munsey, P., & Suppes, C. (n.d.). Carter Finley Stadium. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/NCState/index.htm

NC State University Athletics. (2023, December 5). Lanier family makes generous gift to NC State women's Basketball Locker Room Enhancement. NC State University Athletics. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from  https://gopack.com/news/2022/9/22/lanier-family-makes-generous-gift-to-nc-state-womens-basketball-locker-room-enhancement.aspx 

NC State University Athletics. (2023, December 5). Townebank makes a $5 million gift to enhance NC State Athletics. NC State University Athletics. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from  https://gopack.com/news/2022/7/6/football-townebank-makes-a-5-million-gift-to-enhance-nc-state-athletics.aspx 

North Carolina State University Athletics. NC State University Athletics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://gopack.com/staff-directory

Play4Kay. NC State University Athletics. (2022). Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://gopack.com/sports/2022/12/1/play4kay.aspx

Play4Kay. Kay Yow Cancer Fund. (2023, December 5). Retrieved December 5, 2023, from https://kayyow.com/play4kay/

Thomas, A., Terhune, R., & Dinkel, C. (2023, December 5). Triangle Sports on the national stage has trickle-down effect on tourism, experts say. WRAL.com. Retrieved December 5, 2023, from  https://www.wral.com/triangle-sports-on-the-national-stage-has-trickle-down-effect-on-tourism-experts-say/20209855/ 

Wendell H. Murphy football center. Facilities. (December 5, 2023).  https://facilities.ofa.ncsu.edu/building/wmf/ 

Wendell H. Murphy center - facilities. NC State University Athletics. (December 5, 2023). https://gopack.com/facilities/wendell-h-murphy-center/18

Wendell H. Murphy football center. Facilities. (December 5, 2023). https://facilities.ofa.ncsu.edu/building/wmf/

Wendell H. Murphy center - facilities. NC State University Athletics. (December 5, 2023). https://gopack.com/facilities/wendell-h-murphy-center/18