NC State Mascots, Colors, Team Names, and Symbols

NC State Mascots, Colors, Team Names, and Symbols
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1890s

1892-1895 Pink and blue colors worn

The earliest sports teams at NC State wore pink and blue, and these colors were chosen by the literary societies.

1892-1910 No consistent name chosen

There wasn't a consistent name for the sport teams during the early decades of the college. Names such as "Farmers and Mechanics," "Aggies," and "Techs" were used loosely.

9/1895 Brown and white colors approved

The Athletic Association approved brown and white as colors for the sports teams, but use of these colors was short-lived.

11/1895 Red and white chosen

A majority of students chose red and white as colors for the sports teams. The colors changed a couple different times during the early years of the college. The faculty agreed to the adoption of red and white and stated that they could not be changed again without a vote of two-thirds of the student body. The colors have remained the same since.

1900s

1906 Original Alma Mater written

The original Alma Mater song was written by A. E. Escott, although it was replaced as the official alma mater of the college in 1925.

1910s

1910-1919 Bulldog mascot established for sports team

The football, basketball, and baseball teams had bulldog mascots named "Togo" and "Tige."

North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts baseball team with mascot, TogoNorth Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts baseball team with mascot, Togo
1918 New monogram appeared

The monogram showing the letter "S" in block style with the letters "N" and "C" nestled within the spaces first appeared in the Agromeck.

Monogram Club, 1933-1934Monogram Club, 1933-1934
1918 Changing logo designs

When the school changed its name to North Carolina State College, the AMC logo was replaced by a new NSC monogram in 1918. The monogram eventually changed into the Block S logo that is still in use today.

1920s

1921 Wolfpack nickname used

The nickname "Wolfpack" was first used for an NC State athletic team. An alumnus wrote a letter published in the Feb. 1921 Alumni News suggesting the name "Wolf Pack" for NC State's football team. Another legend indicates an unidentified newspaper published a letter in which someone complained that the football team was "unruly as a pack of wolves," but that story was not substantiated.

1923-1924 Basketball team became "Red Terrors"

Previously known as the "Techs," the basketball team became known as the "Red Terrors."

1925 Alma Mater composed

Class of 1923 alumni Alvin M. Fountain and Bonnie Frank Norris composed the Alma Mater song. They were both in the university's ROTC program. The alma mater used more recently was an abridged version, arranged by former music department chair Dr. Robert A. Barnes in the early 1960s.

Technician, Vol. 5 No. 33, May 15, 1925Technician, Vol. 5 No. 33, May 15, 1925
10/28/1927 Marching band wore red and white

The marching band began to wear red and white uniforms when performing at athletic events.

"State's best""State's best"

1940s

1946 Students voted to keep Wolfpack name

Chancellor J. W. Harrelson asked students to suggest a new name for the sports teams. He disliked the term Wolfpack because of connotations with World War II German U-boat formations. Student voted overwhelmingly, however, to keep the name.

1946 Mechanical Wolfpack mascot created

Mechanical engineering student Ira Helms Jr. created a robot-like Wolfpack mascot costume (see Technician, Vol. 27 No. 10, November 29, 1946 for photograph) worn to football games during the 1946 season. One student wore the costume while another walked behind with a "remote control" that appeared to control the robot's movements.

Technician, Vol. 27 No. 10, November 29, 1946Technician, Vol. 27 No. 10, November 29, 1946
1947 Wolfpack name became official

All NC State athletics teams adopted Wolfpack as the official name. Previously, only the football team was called the Wolfpack, and other sports teams were called the Red Terrors and a variety of other names.

1947 Live wolf mascot made appearance

Students brought a live timber wolf to football games to roam the sidelines. UPI called the animal a "sniping and snarling bundle of fur." It was eventually sold to a traveling animal show.

1950s

1950-1959 Cheerleaders wore wolf costumes

During the 1950s, cheerleaders began to dress in a wolf costume at sporting events, and members of the Red Coat Marching Band wore fiberglass wolf heads as some of the earliest known student mascots for NC State.

1960s

1960-1969 First mascot introduced

The first student mascot was introduced by the cheerleading squad in the early 1960s in a wolf costume.

10/8/1966 Live wolf mascot at Carter-Finley

Student government sold 25-cent shares to purchase a timber wolf, which was shown during the first game played at what became Carter-Finley Stadium. The animal howled, making it popular, but it was later discovered to be a coyote.

Mascot at Carter Stadium dedicationMascot at Carter Stadium dedication

1970s

1975 Woman wolf mascot introduced

After the introduction of women's athletics to NC State, costumes were created for a woman version of the wolf mascot.

09/05/1975 First student chosen for Miss Wolf mascot

Junior varsity cheerleader Elizabeth Jan Seymour was the first woman chosen for the mascot formerly known as Miss Wolf. During Seymour's first game as mascot, the cheerleaders debuted their hand gesture now known as “wolf hands.”

Mr. and Ms. Wuf carrying a banner against Clemson at N.C. State vs. Clemson University football gameMr. and Ms. Wuf carrying a banner against Clemson at N.C. State vs. Clemson University football game

1980s

2/28/1981 Wolf mascots get married

Mr. Wolf and Ms. Wolf were married in a mock wedding ceremony by the Wake Forest Demon Deacon mascot during halftime of a Men's Basketball game at Reynolds Coliseum. The two were joined in "canis matrimonium," and Chancellor Joab Thomas gave the bride away.

Wolf weddingWolf wedding
1982-1983 Mascots' names changed from "Wolf" to "Wuf"

The mascots’ names changed to “Wuf” when the male mascot, Scott Joseph, debuted a new body costume made by his mother. When she began sewing his name on the back of the jersey, she didn’t have enough room to spell “Wolf,” so she shortened it.

Mr. Wuf playing with mini fansMr. Wuf playing with mini fans

2000s

2006-2007 Mr. and Mrs. Wuf named "Top Mascot"

In 2006, Mr. Wuf was named the nation’s top mascot, and Mrs. Wuf was named top mascot the following year.

2010s

2010 Tuffy became new live mascot

A Tamaskan dog named Tuffy became the new live mascot for football games. This breed of dog resembled the wolf-like Siberian husky.

01/2011 Mr. and Mrs. Wuf renewed wedding vows at basketball game
Technician, February 09, 2012Technician, February 09, 2012

2020s

02/18/2022 Alma Mater revised

The NC State Board of Trustees approved removing the word “Dixie” from the NC State Alma Mater and adding the word “Southern.”