Reacting to NC State's Gasparilla Bowl News
In this story:
After a chaotic situation with the ACC throughout conference championship week held up most of the conference's bowl selections, NC State finally found out where it will head after finishing the season with a 7-5 record.
The Wolfpack will play in the 2025 Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 19 against the Memphis Tigers of the American Conference. NC State enters the matchup trying to snap a lengthy losing streak in postseason bowl games and may try to do so without some key contributors.
On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett breaks down the selection process and how the Wolfpack ended up with a bid to play in the Sunshine State against the Tigers in just 11 days.
Watch the episode
More details on NC State's Gasparilla Bowl appearance
The Gasparilla Bowl will be 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.
NC State was a candidate 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.
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
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 it's 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.’
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.
Want more NC State football content during the 2025 season? Follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker and never miss another breaking news story again. Want to reach out with questions about the Wolfpack? Send an email to wolfpackonsi@gmail.com to potentially be featured on mailbag stories in the future.
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