City: Raleigh, NC

Category: Spectator Sports

Description: In Raleigh, the Wolfpack plays with a storied tradition and a loyal fan base. Everett Case, who coached the team in the 1950s when it played on the central campus at Reynolds Coliseum, is largely credited with sparking the craze for ACC basketball in what had been football territory. In 1983, Jim Valvano led the underdog “Cardiac Pack” to a national title, and when he died from cancer a decade later, he left the spirit of Jimmy V in Raleigh forever. Today the Pack’s men’s hoops squad plays in the RBC Center. At Reynolds, the women’s team recently lost Coach Kay Yow—just as beloved a fighter as Valvano—to cancer. The football team plays across from the RBC dome at Carter-Finley Stadium, and its tailgate parties are nearly daylong affairs. Like its rivals in Durham and Chapel Hill, the Pack has struggled on the gridiron, but it draws devoted fans.