© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The NC State basketball team will play in the NCAA Tournament. It learned its March Madness fate on Selection Sunday.
The Wolfpack was not thrilled with its seeding. A perceived snub led to a ho-hum reaction in Raleigh.
It was an up-and-down debut season for head coach Will Wade. His team scheduled hard in the non-conference, going 9-4.
They were unable to pick up a signature win, falling in close outings to Kansas and Texas. They kicked things up a notch at the start of ACC play.
The Wolfpack won nine of its first 11 league games. That included victories over NCAA Tournament teams Clemson and SMU. They’d later go onto annihilate North Carolina before the wheels came off.
North Carolina State dropped its last four conference games of the season. It finished 10-8 after that 9-2 start.
They solidified their March Madness standing with a win in over Pitt in the ACC Tournament. A subsequent loss to UVA ended the season.
Was NC State basketball snubbed?
Despite the poor finish, most predicted that the Wolfpack would earn a bye in the NCAA Tournament. That included bracketologist Joe Lunardi at ESPN.
The committee, however, viewed things differently.
NC State was rated as the 41st-best team in the field. It received an 11-seed and a play-in game opportunity.
Official 1-68 seed list from the NCAA: pic.twitter.com/6TXHZDoj53
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 15, 2026
The Wolfpack will not get a bye. It will be forced to play an extra game prior to the start of the first round in a rematch with Texas.
The Wolfpack was not pleased.
Will Wade on NC State’s reaction during the NCAA Selection Show, revealing the Pack was in the First Four:
“There wasn’t a word said.”
— Cory Smith (@RCorySmith) March 15, 2026
The team refused to celebrate its NCAA Tournament inclusion. Will Wade believed they’d done enough to avoid a play-in game situation.
The committee thought otherwise. NC State will now get an early start.
This represents the third trip to the Big Dance in four seasons for the Wolfpack. The last resulted in a run to the Final Four.
This year’s path will be a bit more difficult given the extra game to start. They’ll look to overcome that adversity and advance to the first round of the bracket.
A win over Texas would not only set up a meeting with BYU in Round 1, but it would also allow NC State to avenge its previous loss to the Longhorns.