Nov 9, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack fans and Duke Blue Devils fans during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Sea of Red: Huge Fan Presence Expected For Opener

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 8:00 AM ET

2025 has been an enormous year for ticket sales at both the Lenovo Center for NC State men's basketball and at Carter-Finley Stadium for Wolfpack football.

While the basketball season is still a few months away, football is right around the corner. NC State football tickets for the team's season opener against East Carolina have sold out on the official website, but resale tickets remain available on services like SeatGeek.

It should come as no surprise that the game became a sellout, as it was announced that the program sold more than 30,000 season tickets for the 22nd consecutive season in May.

Nothing Like a Home Crowd

While a contingent of fans for the in-state rival Pirates will likely be in attendance for the game, the Wolfpack should have a dominant homefield advantage on a Thursday night. The raucous atmosphere should be far different than that of the 2024 Military Bowl, when the Wolfpack was defeated by ECU in an ugly performance to cap off a disappointing year.

Under head coach Dave Doeren, NC State has thrived at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack won 16 straight games at home throughout the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons, tying the longest home winning streak in the program's history. The 2021 team became the first Wolfpack squad to go undefeated since 1986 and joined a club of six teams with a perfect record at Carter-Finley.

Doeren made a point to make Carter-Finley a strong den for his Wolfpack over the years. Even in a down year like 2024, NC State finished 4-3 at home and lost two of the three games by one score.

Much-Needed Revenge

The sellout crowd will need to push NC State to a win to ensure the Wolfpack avenges the Military Bowl loss and regains control of the rivalry against ECU.

After the debacle at the end of the game last December, Doeren and NC State would love nothing more than to move on from those events with a win. Several members of the team returned for another year with the Wolfpack and will be more than willing to go the extra mile to win that opening game and set the tone for a strong 2025 season.

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This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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