Caslee Sims | Staff Writer

So you’ve been in your books all week, and the food at Fountain Dining Hall is just getting you through. You’ve gathered up mountains of free NC State gear throughout your first week while hearing about the countless opportunities you’ll be exposed to. That’s just something that comes with being a part of the Pack. But there’s so much more that comes with being a member of the Pack. One of the greatest things about being an NC State student is the love/hate relationship you’ll develop with our sports teams throughout your time here.

Win or lose, the Pack fans will let you know that it never ends until the clock strikes all zeros.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wolfpack playing its football at Carter-Finley Stadium not to mention the reopening of historic Reynolds Coliseum. There will be a lot of celebratory breaks in the action to acknowledge these two landmarks. Make sure your bathroom breaks do not prohibit your participation in these moments.

Tickets

NC State implemented its lottery-like loyalty point system to control the demand of student ticket requests. Points are given at the beginning of the fall semester and distributed by your class level so not everyone begins on a level playing field. You’ll get more points the more games you attend. Earning your keep is the name of the game so freshmen start at the bottom of the totem pole. Here’s how initial points are distributed:

Seniors- Nine points

Juniors- Seven points

Sophomores- Five Points

Freshmen- A whopping three points

Campout

There is a fun alternative for racking up loyalty points, but it only happens once.

Campout is honestly one of those things you just have to do as a student at NC State. Just like voting is a civic duty, going to Campout is a student duty. Beginning as a full-fledged campout for NC State vs. UNC-Chapel Hill basketball tickets, Campout maintains its same overnight stay principles, but this time it’s for loyalty points for future, possible tickets to big games. For a freshman this serves as a fun booster without toiling through an NC State football game vs. a team they’d for sure demolish. Being a former attendee, I can say that this is a great event to earn loyalty points while eating free food. What could be better?

Student Wolfpack Club

The Student Wolfpack Club is in layman’s terms an athletic booster club with one common goal: Uniting for Wolfpack sporting events. There are perks like priority seating at games, which comes with a job of its own: never stop cheering for the Pack because we can see you on live broadcast.

Transportation

The Red Terror bus system that takes students to and from off-campus home games is a blessing. The bus runs through various spots on campus three hours before a Woflpack football game and two before men’s basketball games atPNC Arena. The Red Terror is an exhilarating place to be, especially for your first game. Enjoy it. College days swiftly pass and those loyalty points definitely matter.