NC State athletics took the national stage in 2023-24, becoming just the third school to reach a bowl in football, the men’s and women’s basketball Final Four and the College World Series in one school year.
With that level of achievement, one question looms: How close is the Wolfpack to a national championship? Let’s break down each program’s odds of winning a title in the next five years.
Cross country: 3-1
Following three straight national titles from 2021-24, NC State women’s cross country finished eighth at the 2024 NCAA Championships in November. Six of the seven championship participants will return next season, including juniors Grace Hartman and Hannah Gapes who finished fifth and eighth, respectively.
A young, inexperienced group with unrefined strategies finished fifth at the ACC Championships in 2024, a humbling result after seven straight conference titles. With additional experience — and the addition of No. 1 recruit Sadie Engelhardt — NC State has a strong case for a return to the crown.
The Wolfpack men haven’t won an ACC crown since 2011, making the women the best bet for a national champion in Raleigh.
Football: 125-1
In an expanded 12-team playoff, upsets in the postseason are bound to increase, making it anyone’s game. The problem is getting to the playoffs.
Since the AP ranking began in 1936, NC State football has had two top 12 finishes: 1974 and 2002. In the CFP era, the Wolfpack has been as high as No. 14.
NC State’s future is contingent on the development of true freshman quarterback CJ Bailey. Bailey was a bright spot on a porous 2024 squad, so another jump as a sophomore would make Raleigh a prime destination for a cast of talent in 2026 and beyond.
Men’s soccer: 40-1
2025 marked a historic season for NC State men’s soccer — the team reached its first quarterfinal appearance since 1992 in head coach Marc Hubbard’s inaugural season.
While many key pieces have moved on, the focal point of the season was Hubbard’s assembly and utilization of 11 transfers. Replicating that transfer portal success could elevate NC State into college soccer’s elite.
The Wolfpack competes in a stacked conference that featured five quarterfinal teams in the fall tournament. With the University’s full confidence behind him, Hubbard is building a contender in Raleigh.
Women’s soccer: 800-1
Amid a coaching change, NC State women’s soccer faces an uphill battle moving forward.
A 4-10-4 regular season led to the dismissal of head coach Tim Santoro after posting a 28-69-16 ACC record. After three seasons at East Carolina, Gary Higgins was named head coach in December.
The Wolfpack made six straight tournaments from 2016-2022, giving Higgins a stronger foundation than many other vacancies. However, with little momentum and key departures, Higgins’ squad would need a meteoric rise to enter the national conversation.
Volleyball: 150-1
After the most successful season of his tenure, head coach Luka Slabe stepped away from NC State in December.
NC State volleyball reached the NCAA Tournament for just the fourth time in program history, falling to Florida in the first round. Of the eight players who logged at least 90 sets played, two are returning, four are graduating and two entered the transfer portal.
New head coach Megan Wargo-Kearney has a strong pedigree, appearing in the NCAA Tournament six times with Truman State, and can sustain the program’s momentum. However, she must retool the roster to remain competitive.
Men’s basketball: 200-1
This is tricky because it’s rare for a reigning Final Four team to have a coach on the hot seat or miss its conference tournament, but that’s the reality for the Wolfpack.
Even in a relatively weak conference, NC State has struggled offensively, ranking 17th in ACC scoring and 16th in rebounding. A coaching change would put the program even further behind the curve in the short term, but keeping head coach Kevin Keatts could prolong the team’s struggles. The team needs a primary scorer to counter the devastating 2-3 zone, which teams have used to effectively neutralize its offense.
Women’s basketball: 15-1
The 2023-2024 NC State women’s basketball team set a new bar for the program, qualifying for the Final Four for the second time.
In 2024-2025, the team is hovering around the same 3-seed it held last spring. With a guard-heavy lineup, the key to contention this season is interior production from true freshman Tilda Trygger.
Most starters are upperclassmen soon to leave Raleigh, but an elite freshman and incoming freshman class bodes well for the future.
Gymnastics: 75-1
NC State gymnastics is poised for another run in the NCAA Tournament one year after getting bounced in the first round.
Ranked No. 18, the Wolfpack sits outside tournament status but has eight more meets to bolster its resume. Despite what a 4-5 record suggests, the women average 196.025 points per meet — chasing just California and Stanford in the ACC.
The Wolfpack won the 2023 ACC Championship in its first year after departing the EAGL conference, where it spent 29 years. Continued conference contention and a steady rise for the program are on the horizon.
Swimming and diving: 10-1
Just one year after the NC State swimming and diving men’s and women’s teams both finished in the top 10 nationally, the bar has only heightened.
The Wolfpack men and women rank No. 5 and 8, respectively, as they compete at the ACC Championships this week. The men seek their fourth consecutive title while the women aim to capture their first since 2019.
While the women have recently emerged as national contenders, men’s swimming and diving may be NC State’s most decorated program. An NCAA crown has eluded them — but that day may be fast approaching.
Wrestling: 12-1
Head coach Pat Popolizio has transformed NC State into a perennial wrestling contender, winning six straight ACC titles since 2018 and positioning the Pack as favorites for a seventh.
The Wolfpack has a ranked wrestler in nine of 10 weight classes, including two in the Top 5. Popolizio’s squad is No. 7 nationally — the highest-ranked team in the ACC — with its only loss to No. 2 Oklahoma State.
No. 1 Penn State has won 11 of 13 NCAA Championships since 2011, including a dominant 100-point victory last spring. The 2020 championships — canceled because of COVID-19 — may have been the Pack’s best shot at the champs. However, with several ranked redshirt freshmen in the pipeline, NC State remains poised to challenge the Nittany Lions for years.
Men’s golf: 300-1
NC State men’s golf has experienced highs and lows in 2024, finishing as high as first and as low as 12th in tournament play.
Junior Joey Lenane leads the team with a one-under-par scoring average, one of three players posting a subpar average. At the Williams Cup in October, the Pack finished fifth, trailing only No. 8 UNC-Chapel Hill, No. 4 Arizona State, No. 3 Auburn and No. 14 Florida.
Historically, the program has limited national success, with just one conference title and one regional championship. An ACC school hasn’t won the national championship since Clemson in 2003.
Women’s golf: 500-1
Wolfpack women’s golf hasn’t finished in the top 3 all season and is currently ranked No. 45 nationally.
With only 24 teams eligible for the NCAA Tournament, NC State must climb at least 21 spots to qualify.
Freshman Marie Eline Madsen leads the team in scoring, offering a glimpse at the future. Regardless, a single athlete can’t carry a team to a national crown in golf, even the talented Denmark native.
Baseball: 8-1
Longtime head coach Elliott Avent has led the Wolfpack to 21 NCAA Tournaments and three trips to Omaha and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Many speculated that NC State’s all-time winningest coach would retire after falling to Florida in the College World Series. Instead, he and his preseason No. 13 Wolfpack are back for another shot at the title.
With this five-year window likely marking the end of Avent’s tenure in Raleigh, he’ll be hungry to go out on top.
Softball: 300-1
NC State softball hasn’t posted a winning record against conference opponents since 2015, the program’s first and only ranked finish.
In head coach Lindsay Leftwich’s first season, the Wolfpack finished 30-23. The former LSU assistant inherited an 18-35 program that hasn’t made an NCAA Tournament appearance since qualifying for the Super Regional in 2015.
With the Ensley sisters leading NC State, there’s optimism that the rebuild may be nearing its conclusion — though national contention remains a ways off.
Men’s tennis: 50-1
Ranked No. 19 in the nation, NC State men’s tennis sits in prime position for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Three of the Pack’s four losses have been to top six opponents, including inter-conference foes No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 5 Virginia. Senior Braden Shick boasts a 13-6 record and the No. 16 singles ranking.
The Wolfpack has consistently succeeded under head coach Kyle Spencer, qualifying for the tournament each year during his tenure. Can he guide his team over the championship hurdle?
Women’s tennis: 20-1
Just two years removed from a national title appearance, NC State women’s tennis is aiming for a rerun.
This year’s No. 19 Wolfpack squad boasts the No. 2 doubles duo nationally, both of whom are sophomores. Against current Top-25 opponents, the Pack is 5-3, including two losses by just one point.
The record against quality opponents suggests the 2025 team may be a year too early for title contention, but such a young, talented group could immediately become an elite contender by 2026.
Track and field: 5000-1
Florida State’s mid-2000s teams represent the ACC’s only three track and field national championships. ACC schools, including NC State, typically don’t have the means or desire to invest heavily across all phases of its teams — choosing to specialize in one or a couple.
If the Wolfpack won a track and field title, it would be the result of a philosophical shift in collegiate athletics.
