GREENSBORO, N.C. — Tonight, the NC State Men's basketball team goes up against Marquette at 7:09 pm right here on WFMY News 2. If they win, the Wolfpack will be eating ice cream after the game, that's a sure bet.
The tradition got started when Kevin Keatts became the coach seven years ago. When you win on the road, you go out for ice cream. 2 Wants To Know asked Craig Hammel, NC State Director of Communications for Men's basketball about it. He texted me this week:
We always get it from a place on the road. They get a random assortment of flavors, cookie dough, chocolate, vanilla, cookies & cream
When the Wolfpack won the ACC Tournament, t-shirts were made that had a bowl with five ice cream scoops on it. It says 'Five days. Five scoops'. Each scoop has the date of the wins at the ACC tournament.
After the ACC Tournament, NC State Athletics posted on Facebook about a partnership with Two Roosters Ice Cream. There was a five-day celebration for the five wins on the road, with a special Wolfpack ice cream that includes cookie dough, brownies, Oreos, fudge, and red M&M's mixed in.
Sports Illustrated wrote about the ice cream after a road win tradition in 2020. One of the assistant coaches scouts the town they're in for ice cream places. The logistics of getting the team ice cream have changed over the years, but here's the thing, the assistant coach usually calls whatever ice cream shop in town and says 'There's a chance we could be placing a really big order in about 2 hours', but he doesn't jinx it by saying the words 'If we win'.
This past week Howling Cow, the famous NC State ice cream, gave all students free ice cream after the guys and girls won.
Will the Wolfpack continue dancing? How sweet it is to win in the Sweet 16 and beyond!