The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1481002
TRACKING THE PACK 12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Marshall Joins NC State's 2023 Football Schedule NC State's 2023 nonconference foot- ball schedule has been adjusted after Cincinnati worked an agreement to get out of a home-and-home series with the Wolfpack. The Bearcats were originally set to play at Carter-Finley Stadium in 2023 with a return trip to Cincinnati in 2029. However, their upcoming move to the Big 12, which plays nine conference games annually, is forcing the program to drop a contest. Cincinnati is currently in the Ameri- can Athletic Conference, which plays eight league contests. To replace the Bearcats, Marshall is being added as a home game on Oct. 7, 2023. NC State and Marshall have a recent history of games. They played a home- and-home series in 2017 and 2018, with the Wolfpack winning both contests by identical 37-20 scores. C i n c i n n a t i i s p a y i n g M a rs h a l l $850,000 to play NC State. The Wolfpack is also expected to host VMI on Sept. 16 and play at Connecti- cut a week later, with a home contest against Notre Dame taking place at a date to be determined. If the VMI and UConn dates prove correct, since Notre Dame already has early-season dates lined up, that would mean NC State is opening the 2023 sea- son with a conference game. Women's Basketball Adds Third Top-60 Recruit The NC State women's basketball team has landed its third verbal com- mitment in the 2023 class, and the pledge was a top priority for head coach Wes Moore. Guard Laci Steele from Edmond (Okla.) North, rated the No. 56 prospect nationally by ESPN, announced her de- cision on Sept. 28. The 5-foot-11 Steele had narrowed her options to NC State, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, Southern Cal and Texas A&M. She provided some drama in her an- nouncement, originally discarding an NC State hat on the table by throwing the cap away to fool those watching into thinking the Pack was not the choice. Moments later, she pulled another Wolfpack hat out from under the table. Last season, Steele was named to the Class A All-State team by The Okla- homan after averaging 21.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game for a 28-1 Edmond North squad that won the school's first state title. Steele joins two others who are ranked highly by ESPN.com in the NC State women's basketball recruiting class. Guard Zoe Brooks (5-10) from Plain- field (N.J.) Saint John Vianney High is listed at No 33 nationally. She picked NC State in June over ACC rivals Miami and Boston College. She is a three-time all- state selection and was named a Junior All-American by MaxPreps.com. Some ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK NC State was originally slated to play Cincinnati next year at Carter-Finley Stadium, but the matchup was canceled due to the Bearcats' impending move to the Big 12. PHOTO BY JEANETTE BLANKENSHIP