NC State men's basketball has built hype all throughout the offseason with the hiring of Wil Wade, but it has reached a fever pitch with the first sellout for a season opener since the Lenovo Center was opened in 1999.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The 2025-26 season for NC State men's basketball opens in exactly one month against NC Central on Nov. 3. Will Wade will coach his first game inside the Lenovo Center where history will be made in front of a sold-out crowd. That will mark the first time since Nov. 19, 1999 that the Wolfpack's season opener will be sold out.
That's a remarkable accomplishment for the Pack, especially considering that ACC Championship and Final Four banners were hung in the season opener just last year. But that's the power of the Wade hire as the NC State fan base continues to go all in on men's basketball this offseason.
NC State's matchup against Georgia on Nov. 19, 1999 marked the first and only season opener to be sold out inside the Lenovo Center prior to the Nov. 3 matchup with the Eagles. Herb Sendek led the Wolfpack to a 67-63 win over the Bulldogs to open the building, but the 19,5000-seat arena has not been filled for a season opener since.
The name was then the Entertainment Sports Arena -- or ESA, for short -- and has changed named to the RBC Center, PNC Arena and now Lenovo Center since that point. In the second year of the Lenovo partnership, the Wolfpack has a product that has fans in a frenzy with 2,000 additional season tickets sold, pushing the mark over 10,000 already for the season.
But the excitement being generated in Raleigh is about so much more than just the Wade hiring, it's about the program and the product expected to hit the court. With a roster that includes key additions like Darrion Williams, Tre Holloman, Ven-Allen Lubin, Terrance Arceneaux and so many others, the Pack has the pieces to make serious noise this season.
"All of us together are a force," Wade said last month. "We're NC State, we're red. Blood's red, right? Not blue—blood's red. So RED, and then it's going to be a reckoning for the ACC and for college basketball. You're gonna have to deal with this. You haven't had to deal with this because we haven't always been on the same page.
"This is about all of us tying in together, all of us being on the same page, all of us rowing in the same direction. This isn't the Will Wade Wolfpack. It's not the Boo Corrigan Wolfpack. This is all of us together. This is NC State. This is all of us working together. We've got an incredible administration, we've got incredible players, we've got a great staff, and we've got one of the best fan bases in all of college athletics.
"I think we have the best fan base in college basketball. We just haven't always been aligned and on the same tune. We're aligned now. And when we're aligned, there's nothing we can't do. There's nothing we can't do. And they're gonna see November 3—that thing's gonna be sold out."
Now that the game is officially sold out and history is set to be made, it's time to prove it. Wade and his program are ready to bring the "Red Reckoning" to the Lenovo Center.
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RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State football plays its lone home game in October on Saturday afternoon against Campbell, with the Wolfpack looking to bounce back from two tough losses in ACC play. State needs a comfortable win as it prepares for a gauntlet of a schedule on the back half starting next week against Notre Dame.
Here's how our staff sees the game going down.
Michael Clark
It's been a brutally disappointing few weeks for NC State. However, Campbell is far and away the weakest opponent on the Wolfpack's schedule.
Last month, East Carolina - a common opponent - dismantled Campbell, 56-3. The Pack routes the Camels behind multiple touchdowns on offense and the defense finally generating some takeaways.
Final Prediction: NC State 48, Campbell 7
Charlie Gribble
It's a new week for NC State football and what comes with that is a new opportunity as the Campbell Fighting Camels come into Carter-Finley Stadium. After having a week to digest, it's hard to wrap your head around the performance from the Pack against the Hokies. Given the circumstances surrounding the VT program, it's comfortable to say it is the worst loss of the Dave Doeren era.
It'll be a true testament to see how NC State comes out against a vastly inferior opponent in Campbell. Regardless of what's to come after this season, it'll take Dave Doeren's best coaching job to keep this team together as the Wolfpack close in on what is a brutal stretch of league games next week.
I've got the Wolfpack getting back on track against the Camels and covering.
Final Prediction: NC State 55, Campbell 10
Spencer Thomas
After dropping two straight to Duke and VT, the Wolfpack are looking to get back in the win column before a big trip on the road next week. CJ Bailey looked like the CJ fans know and love, connecting on 26 of 34 passes for 240 yards. The caveat to this was Hollywood Smothers being shut down early, limiting the Wolfpack to being a one-dimensional team. I expect the Wolfpack to establish that run game early with the help of Duke Scott as well to make the team whole again.
The NC State defense will have to keep the Camels' QB Kamden Sixkiller on his toes early because they are a throw-first type of offense. Sabastian Harsh and Brandon Cleveland should add to the number of times Sixkiller has been sacked this season (11). By shutting down the throwing game, the Wolfpack will be in the driver's seat to take this one over and send NC State fans happy. I expect the Wolfpack to win this one 35-7, thanks to a dominant performance by CJ Bailey and the shutdown aspect of the defense.
Final Prediction: NC State 35, Campbell 7
Chris Ragone
NC State welcomes the Campbell Camels to Carter-Finley on Saturday, and not a moment too soon. The Pack have lost two straight, and are in need of a "get-right game" in the worst way. That comes this week.
QB CJ Bailey, RB Hollywood Smothers, and the rest of the offense should find this week quite a bit easier than the previous two. On the other side of the ball, an underpowered opponent will allow a defense, that is sporting some fresh faces, a chance to get some game experience and develop some additional confidence.
The Pack rolls from the opening kick...
Final Prediction: NC State 48 Campbell 10
Aron Disher
NC State can't possibly stumble in this one, right? Well, many of us felt the same way last week—and we all saw how that turned out. Over the past two weeks, it feels like nothing but negative energy has surrounded this football program. This matchup against Campbell presents the perfect opportunity to reset, get back on track, and re-energize the fan base.
Facing a mid-major always carries some risk because the fallout of actually losing would be disastrous. Still, these games also give you a chance to show what you're capable of—or in NC State's case, get back to the basics and play clean, disciplined football. Honestly, this game couldn't come at a better time for the Pack. It's the ideal chance to regroup.
As for the actual prediction, as I already said, I expect the Wolfpack to use this game to rediscover their identity and lean into what they know works best. If they do, the Pack should have no trouble putting up lots of points on Campbell's defense. That being said, if NC State doesn't walk away winning by multiple touchdowns, the game may feel like a loss in the eyes of many fans.
Final Prediction: NC State 51, Campbell 17
Cory Smith
When this game was announced years ago, most scoffed at the fact that NC State would even play against Campbell. Years later, the Camels are in a bad place at 1-4 overall with a 50-plus point loss to ECU and allowing an average of 41 points per game despite not playing a single Power Four team this year.
This should be a slaughter for the Wolfpack, and it could be even more lopsided than I'm predicting if the defense is able to force turnovers. This game will be about getting out to a hot start and reestablishing dominance in the trenches before allowing younger players snaps late to pull out a comfortable win.
Final Prediction: NC State 41, Campbell 10