Football changes
Students will see plenty of changes this year, with the football team donning new uniforms, a new pregame “tradition” and more new ticketing policies. The Wolfpack is apparently going for the classic, old-school look, with its new solid red jerseys and all-white pants, offering a striking resemblance to Nebraska’s traditional uniforms. A new statue, a snarling, skinny-legged wolf named Fury, sits at the player entrance to the field. It represents another attempt by Athletics to start a tradition. Students will have to be educated on the new ticketing policies as well, with new tardiness punishments and last-minute ticket availability.
Soccer’s low expectations
Last season was dismal for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Will this year be any better? If early projections mean anything, it doesn’t look good. The men, who won one ACC game last year, are predicted by the ACC media to finish last in the conference. The same goes for the women, who went winless in conference matches last season. With both coaches catching the heat from State fans, the teams are hoping that the new on-campus soccer field will help yield new results for the Pack.
Basketball recruiting
Sidney Lowe’s 2009 recruiting class may make gigantic strides in the upcoming months. After receiving verbal commitments from shooting guard Lorenzo Brown and power forward Richard Howell this summer, Lowe will look to add another Georgia standout to the mix in center Derrick Favors, the nation’s No. 1 prospect, according to Scout.com.
Many believe Favors will stay close to home at Georgia Tech, but he has shown great interest in State and a liking to coach Larry Harris and Lowe.
Don’t completely count out local talent John Wall either. The class’ No. 1 point guard, according to Scout, is still considering State, though many believe he will follow his former AAU coach to Baylor.
Volleyball and the ACC
A new fall season brings plenty of story lines to N.C. State athletics. From a heated quarterback battle to a volleyball team still struggling to grab an ACC win, there’s plenty to keep your eye on in sports this year. Here’s a few of the big stories to look for in the coming months.
Let’s let the numbers speak for themselves: 56-game ACC losing streak. 3-143 against ACC competition this millennium. Needless to say things haven’t gone as third-year coach Charita Stubbs planned when she took the job in 2006. The three-year mark usually is the point when a coach should have plenty of his or her players in a program and can be more fairly judged. It will be interesting to see if any improvements can be made this year.
Technician Sports blogs
Technician Sports is launching a new blogging initiative that we hope will keep technicianonline.com visitors more informed than ever. Starting today, visitors can expect football updates Monday through Friday through post-practice updates, audio and, eventually, video footage from press conferences, extensive Web-exclusive game coverage and impressions from students around campus of what’s going on in N.C. State sports. Add to that our weekly online coverage of the rest of the fall sports, and you’ll find blogs.technicianonline.com to be your one-stop source for Wolfpack news.
