The state of North Carolina will always be in the spotlight when it comes to college basketball. There is a long history of winning programs here within the Tar Heel State, with the legacies of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke men’s basketball shining above the rest. But the title of the true “winningest program” doesn’t belong to a men’s basketball team, rather, it belongs to the NC State women’s basketball team, and it’s time to recognize it.
With this statistic in their favor, I find it hard to understand why the women don’t get the same respect as men across North Carolina college campuses and student bodies in recent seasons. We want to promote a “winning legacy” here on campus, but instead we focus on the teams that aren’t winning in the moments that matter.
Since the 2017-18 season, the NC State women’s basketball team has an average winning percentage of .8297, while the men’s team has a disappointing average of .5899. You would think with results like that, more students and on-campus organizations would be women’s basketball fans first and foremost, but unfortunately, that just isn’t the case.
On sidewalk corners you see posters and signs for upcoming men’s basketball games at PNC Arena, prompting students to drive the three miles down the road to watch a less successful team play, distracting from the winning atmosphere located in Reynolds Coliseum on Main Campus. While it is important to make sure every sports team on campus is recognized, prioritizing a team just because it is male is unacceptable.
Students specifically seem to be lacking in promoting campus-wide excitement for the women’s team. A popular Instagram page frequented by many students and alumni, @barstoolpack, is known as the go-to page for all things relating to being a member and fan of the Wolfpack. The account posts funny pictures, videos and memes about NC State, and on game days, they typically post anything to get Wolfpack Nation, or their 52,600 thousand followers, hyped. While this account shouldn’t be taken too seriously, the lack of attention they give to the women’s basketball team, or any women’s teams in general, is very concerning.
The last time the women’s basketball team received a significant post on @barstoolpack was March 26, 2022 when the team clinched a spot in the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 1998. The men’s basketball team has been posted about 10 times since Dec. 18, 2022. The account didn’t even post when NC State runner junior Katelyn Touhy and the women’s cross country team won both the NCAA Women’s Cross Country National Championship and the ACC Cross Country Championships in 2022. It might seem silly to complain about how many times something is posted, but when the account has so much influence over the student culture at the University, it is hard to miss when women’s moments of success go unnoticed.
With the rise of head coach Wes Moore, the women’s basketball team has seen a burst of recent success to add to its already impressive resume. After making the NCAA Sweet 16 for the past three seasons, along with winning the ACC Championship in each of those three seasons as well, an argument can be made that the team is the crown jewel of Wolfpack athletics.
The University however, just doesn’t seem to see the appeal of the women’s basketball team, and it’s reflected in its athletic spending budget. Reporter Russell Steinberg reported that in 2018, NC State spent a shocking $9.6 million on the men’s basketball program, and unsurprisingly, the women’s basketball team got significantly less than their male counterparts. DIY College Rankings reports that the University spends $2.7 million on the women’s team here on campus. A team that has sold out Reynolds Coliseum five times this season and has this much success on the court should have more financial backing from the University to put towards recruiting, player development and facilities.
It’s time to stop focusing on the gender of a team and using it as an excuse to not give them the attention and respect they deserve. If the women’s teams are doing better then the men’s, is that something to be embarrassed about? Women’s sports have been pushed aside for far too long and it’s embarrassing for a student body to spend their time supporting a moderately successful program rather than cheering on a once-in-a-generation team like the Pack women’s basketball squad.
