Can NC State End the Bowl Drought?

RALEIGH — After beating Florida State and North Carolina in the last two weeks of the 2025 regular season, NC State earned a trip to a postseason bowl game, finishing the year with a 7-5 record. Numerous options are on the table in terms of where the Wolfpack could end up, ranging from the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa to the Duke's Mayo Bowl just down the road in Charlotte.

There is a lot at stake for the Wolfpack in a potential bowl game, no matter where it is played. NC State has lost its last five bowl games that were actually played, as the Pack's 2021 trip to the Holiday Bowl was canceled due to COVID issues with UCLA. The Wolfpack never got an opportunity to get a 10th win for the first time in Dave Doeren's career with NC State. Could 2025 be the year the streak ends?

Player availability could be an issue

Nov 21, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack tight end Justin Joly (7) celebrates his touchdown with offensive lineman Michael Gibbs (76) to win the game during the second half of the game against Florida State Seminoles at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State has several seniors who are likely to test the NFL draft waters over the next few months. The trend over the last decade has been for players to opt out of bowl games that are deemed unimportant since the foundation of the College Football Playoff. While there's been no indication of who might opt out for the Wolfpack, draft eligible players like tight end Justin Joly and running back Hollywood Smothers could be at risk.

While those would be massive losses for the Pack in a bowl game, the same issue will apply to its opponent. NC State would also be able to bring back players who utilized a redshirt earlier in the season, as postseason bowl games do not count toward the game count for the redshirt system. The Wolfpack suffered so many injuries that many players were forced to burn their redshirts, however.

Potential opposition

Nov 21, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on during the second half of the game against Florida State Seminoles at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Given the wide range of options for NC State's opponents in the various bowl games, it's hard to say who the Wolfpack will play by the time the game comes around. South Florida has been floated as an option for three of NC State's bowl options. The Bulls just lost their head coach, Alex Golesh, as he took the job at Auburn after keeping USF in the Playoff mix for much of the season.

UConn is another option that could be working without its head coach, as Jim Mora Jr. moved on from the Huskies to take the head coaching position at Colorado State. Given the potential for major roster shakeups at those schools, NC State looks like it could be in a good position to snap the bowl losing streak and win for the first time since the 2017 Sun Bowl.

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