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The NC State Wolfpack’s last chance for an ACC title for the 2017-18 season was in the hands of the baseball team over the weekend against the Florida State Seminoles. Unfortunately the team lost, 5-2, on Friday, eliminating them from the ACC tournament and costing them a shot at an ACC title the program hasn’t won since 1992.
Shortly after the loss, a UNC fan tweeted out an eye-opening statistic about NC State’s rough recent history in claiming ACC titles, including regular-season or title tournament ones:
It's official: for the 26th consecutive year, NC State has failed to win so much as a share of a division title, regular season ACC title, or ACC tournament title in football, men's & women's basketball, and baseball. One of the most amazing streaks in college sports.
— Alston Meadows (@damedsz) May 26, 2018
Joe Giglio of the News & Observer further investigated and laid out Meadows’ tweet, and he’s right — everyone currently in the ACC (including former Big East members like Boston College, Louisville, Miami, and Syracuse) has either won an ACC title or a share of one. We double checked a good bit of numbers below:
That viral tweet from a UNC fan only had half of the story. NC State is the only current ACC member without a conference title (regular season or tournament) in football, basketball or baseball this century pic.twitter.com/8uV0cF3nzO
— Joe Giglio (@jwgiglio) May 29, 2018
OK, NC State fans shouldn’t even be mad about this — this is just flat out impressive. In the words of Ron Burgundy, “I’m not even mad, that’s amazing!”
As for the NC State column there, there are some eye-opening takeaways from the last time the Wolfpack won a conference title in those three major sports:
- In 1979, Michael Jackson’s breakthrough album Off The Wall was released
- ESPN launched in 1979!
- In 1989, Georgia H. W. Bush was inaugurated as the United States’ president
- The Simpsons came out this year
- In 1992, I was born (you’re welcome, everyone)
- Mall of America first opened in 1992
- Disney’s Aladdin came out this year, too
This level of across-the-board mediocrity is certainly something, especially given the program’s recent NFL Draft success.
Just last month, the Wolfpack set a school record with seven draft picks, including defensive end Bradley Chubb, who went No. 5 overall to the Denver Broncos. It had a lot of people wondering how in the world the Wolfpack went just 9-4 last season.
Until NC State can become relevant in at least one major sport, these numbers further indicate just how much of a mush of mediocrity Wolfpack athletics have had in recent years in the ACC.
Hang in there, NC State fans.