Information in this article, originally published Nov. 19, has been corrected. Lorenzo Charles completed the game-winning shot in 1983 at the national championship.
NC State men’s basketball has a storied past, with national championships, ACC legends and iconic moments — many of which are from the 1970s and 80s.
Despite its rich history, NC State has drifted away from many of the iconic symbols of its best days, most notably its retro uniforms. The question is, why would any team abandon the symbol of its best seasons?
“Coach [Will] Wade has mentioned on several occasions about wanting to tap into the history that the program has,” said NC State alum Bobby Black. “Those are the uniforms that we did it in, that’s the uniforms that we wore for our national championships.”
Uniforms don’t directly impact team success, making them seem irrelevant on the surface. Yet fans care deeply about what the team wears and, in the age of NIL, fan support is one of the most important factors for success. Without the fans, there would be no basketball, so why not give the fans the uniforms they want — a small ask for a group that pours time, money and emotion into Wolfpack basketball.
“I absolutely love the throwback uniforms,” said NC State fan Austin Keith. “I think they’re a necessary connection to who we used to be and who we can be. Keeping them is a special homage to the past, to the guys who won championships for us.”
For many fans, the retro uniforms invoke memories of Dereck Whittenburg and Lorenzo Charles hitting the game winner for the 1983 national championship and David Thompson starring in the 1970s. Even for fans that weren’t born during that era, the nostalgia of NC State’s best days is passed down to students and younger fans through highlights and stories.
“We had coaches Sendek, Gottfried, Lowe, Keatts, too, and they all ran from it, they ran from our history,” said NC State alum and former Technician writer Anderson Brewer. “Just because we handicapped ourselves so much post-Valvano that they felt like they couldn’t compete or even set up expectations for themselves.”
The most iconic feature of NC State’s retro uniforms is the bold “STATE” across the chest.
“One of my favorite things about it is the simplicity of it,” said NC State alum Van Davenport. “The word ‘State’ has a lot of meaning. Those jerseys represent the David Thompson era, which is one of my favorite eras of Wolfpack basketball.”
NC State has only worn its retro uniforms once this season, but the reaction was clear: Excitement that the Pack is back as memories of the good days returned. Even before the game, fans begged for the uniforms, garnering the attention of the coaching staff.
“There’s some guy that hits Reed [Vial] every morning on Twitter since we’ve gotten the job about wearing these uniforms,” Wade said after NC State wore the retro uniforms against NC Central.
Fans feel the Wolfpack’s current uniforms are bland, failing to connect to NC State’s culture. There’s a heavy emphasis on black lettering, despite the fact that NC State’s iconic colors are red and white. The NC State font across the front is cold and flavorless, making the overall design forgettable.
“I’ve never heard anybody take the time to be like ‘Man, I really like our basketball jerseys’ unless they’re talking about the retro ones,” said NC State alum Will Farthing. “If we care at all about fan perception and buy-in, then we should be thinking about that.”
If NC State wants to maintain the occasional modern look, there are far more creative ways to do so. The key is tying those uniforms into pieces of NC State’s culture, such as the city of Raleigh.
“City of Oaks, that would go so crazy,” said NC State and band alum Ronald Flippin II. “If they did it I know that they would do it right. I think when you have a staple, like that classic “STATE,” it’s easier to really be inventive and creative about the alternates, whether it’s a blackout one or it’s City of Oaks inspired. The hill I will certainly die on is men’s basketball should do a Play4Kay breast cancer awareness uniform too.”
NC State is investing to become a basketball powerhouse again. The play on the court is quickly improving, but getting the details right, such as uniforms, is a necessary step to elevating Wolfpack basketball to its best form.
“When you see that on the court, it’s the essence of what State basketball is,” said NC State alum Jeff Schluter. “I’m among a pretty large group of people who feel this way and just want us to get back to who we’ve always been. What we look like, as trivial as it seems, I think it’s a big part of it.”
The verdict is clear from the fans who spoke to Technician: It’s time for the retro uniforms to return full-time. There’s a time and place for modern uniforms as alternates, but fans want to see the classic jerseys more often than not. With the Wolfpack fanbase united, it’s now up to NC State to deliver.
