Maryland basketball fans touch their ceramic Terrapin before entering their arena, and Duke has the “Cameron Crazies,” who heckle opposing players and participate in scripted chants, both for the same reason – tradition.

What specific men’s basketball tradition does N.C. State have? None, except for a rich history that our newly-found coach was proudly a part of.

Imagine, Sidney Lowe in his red blazer, sweat dripping from his head with chants of S-I-D-N-E-Y L-O-W-E echoing in the background, with jerseys of David Thompson and Rodney Monroe suspending from the rafters, and an atmosphere that is electric – striking a feeling of pride and history.

With recent success in the ACC Tournament, rival games and the excitement that came with playing in the NIT at Reynolds Coliseum, a legitimate question should be asked – why not attempt to bring at least one men’s rival game per season home to Reynolds Coliseum?

Although Reynolds Coliseum did play host to the annual Red/White game and opponents such as Savannah State, it seems plausible and logical to revive the “Red Barn” in men’s basketball by bringing Reynolds Coliseum to a national stage with an ACC rival game rather than an opponent who can’t even hold a winning record as an Independent.

When the Pack faced Marist, a No. 7 seed in the NIT Tournament, junior Gavin Grant said, “I think that’s the loudest I’ve ever heard any college arena.” Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe said, “It’s the atmosphere here. It’s Reynolds Coliseum. It’s the people.”

It’s evident this idea should be considered – imagine the atmosphere in Reynolds Coliseum with a Tobacco Road team, and not necessarily the first team that comes to mind, 20 minutes West on I-40. But any ACC team would suffice for hungry, newly awoken Wolfpack men’s basketball fans who are optimistic for the Sidney Lowe era.

With Lowe’s signature red blazer emerging for significant games, the time is here for something special to be started.

One ACC game per season at Reynolds Coliseum could resemble Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke and be another coliseum that visiting ACC teams dread playing at because of the hostile, passionate environment.

To be so close to the team and the action, as opposed to being an impersonal 20-30 feet away as if you were at an NBA game, is what could make a tradition that Wolfpack fans have not been a part of since the team relocated to the RBC Center in the fall of 1999.

The RBC Center is fantastic in terms of capacity, marketing and revenue, but Reynolds Coliseum provides an atmosphere that is eerily reminiscent of national championships in ’74 and ’83. The RBC Center cannot provide the ACC tradition in the way that Reynolds Coliseum can.

The thought of Jimmy V jumping for joy at an unforeseen national championship, the banners that hang of historically great ACC players and the history that lies within that building are uncontested.

With the dawn of the Sidney Lowe era, one ACC game in Reynolds Coliseum could be the start of a new tradition that the Wolfpack faithful could actually be proud of, rather than shamefully being the doormat on Tobacco Road.