NC State Earns Bid to the Gasparilla Bowl
In this story:
RALEIGH — It took longer than NC State expected to find out where it would go for bowl season, but the Wolfpack learned it will be taking on Memphis of the American Conference in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 19 at Raymond James Stadium.
The Gasparilla Bowl will mark head coach Dave Doeren's 11th bowl appearance as Wolfpack head coach in his 13-year tenure leading the Pack. NC State hasn't won a bowl game since the 2017 Sun Bowl, when it defeated Arizona State in El Paso. It will make the first-ever matchup between Memphis and the Wolfpack on a football field.
More details on the bowl selection
Not done yet! The Pack is heading to the @GasparillaBowl.
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) December 7, 2025
📰: https://t.co/XQfvD4qujq
🎟️: https://t.co/frMgPLHTkF#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/uY4kIn9Ri3
NC State was in the mix for numerous other bowl games because of the logjam in the middle of the ACC standings. The Pack could've made the trip to the Fenway Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, or even stayed local and played in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Ultimately, NC State was selected for a game against the Tigers, a program that lost its head coach, Ryan Silverfield, to Arkansas just recently.
Wake Forest was ultimately chosen as the local team for the Mayo Bowl after a remarkable 8-4 season in the first year under head coach Jake Dickert. The Wolfpack did beat the Demon Deacons back in September in the ACC conference opener in Winston-Salem.
While the level of meaning for non-playoff bowl games has certainly changed to a major degree over the last few years, it will still be a key moment for Doeren. The Wolfpack is in the midst of a lengthy losing streak in postseason bowls, having lost the last five bowls its appeared in, with one bowl being cancelled due to COVID-19 issues in 2021.
“Our staff and team are very excited about playing in a great bowl in the beautiful city of Tampa,” Doeren said in a statement released by NC State. “We appreciate the opportunity and are looking forward to a great game.’
NC State earned bowl eligibility in large part because of a massive run through November. The month began with a win over a Georgia Tech program ranked No. 8 in the country at the time and ended with a massive 42-19 win over in-state rival UNC, which finished the first season under Bill Belichick without a bid to a bowl game.
The Wolfpack will have a shorter period to get back into form than it initially expected, as Dec. 19 is right around the corner already. NC State will get back into practice mode this week and determine which players will participate in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker and never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
Follow SennettTucker