At this year’s ACC media days, North Carolina State’s head coach Dave Doeren took the stage with a simple message: the Wolfpack is ready to carve out a championship.
Speaking after a steak dinner at The Crunkleton, Doeren likened his team’s potential to the meat on the bone of a steak, suggesting that the work they’ve done has left a tangible prize waiting to be claimed.
A Milestone Within Reach
The coach highlighted the program’s stability, noting that NC State has posted the second‑most wins in the ACC over the past six years and has reached eight victories in five of those seasons.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Wolfpack aims for its first appearance in the ACC championship game and its first double‑digit win campaign since 2002, a milestone that would underscore the continuity Doeren has cultivated.
Doeren also pointed out that the team opens the season at Virginia on August 29, a test that will gauge how far the program has come since the late 1970s, when the last ACC title was captured.