The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519757
20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY ETHAN MCDOWELL etty Deal had been ner- vously pacing the con- course of The Pit in Albu- querque, N.M., with Pam Valvano Strasser, the wife of legendary coach Jim Val- vano, when the NC State men's basketball team won the 1983 national championship. Forty-one years later, her son Jim Deal Jr. traveled with the Wolfpack Club to Phoenix for the 2024 Final Four. The Deals were close with the Valvanos, and Jim Jr. has supported the program his entire life. He was raised to be a diehard NC State supporter, and he was one of the fans who made the trip out west on the Wolfpack Club's chartered jets to watch the team compete in the national semifinal — a memorable experience for many. "When we found out we were going to the Final Four this time, my wife and I said, 'Hey, we're going,'" Deal said. "Keep the family tradition going." The Wolfpack Club planned out events for the donors who made the trip, put together some exclusive op- portunities to make up for travel delays and hosted a party at an Arizona bar before the game. Deal was impressed with how the or- ganization planned out the Final Four experience, helping donors create last- ing memories during a historic weekend for the NC State men's and women's basketball teams. "The Wolfpack Club just did a fantas- tic job with the whole trip," Deal said. Delayed Gratification Dale Orrell was one of the Wolfpack Club members driving into Raleigh to catch a flight to Phoenix when unex- pected delays pushed the group's travel plans back. Instead of making the do- nors sit in the airport and wait, the club opened up Carter-Finley Stadium's Townebank Center. Fans were able to take photos with both the men's and women's NCAA re- gional championship trophies, get a bite to eat, and tour the Murphy Center. Orrell made the trip with a group of eight people and said the Wolfpack Club managed the unexpected delays well. Robert Fulford, another donor who traveled to Phoenix for the Final Four, echoed Orrell's sentiment. "I think the Wolfpack Club navigated that very well," Fulford said. The delay gave everyone a chance to mingle before traveling across the coun- try. Eventually, though, two planes car- rying 380 Wolfpack supporters made it to Arizona, which is where the real fun began. 'Phenomenal' Festivities Orrell, Deal and Fulford all agreed — the pregame party hosted by the Wolf- pack Club at Chicken N Pickle in Glen- dale, Ariz., was one of the highlights of the trip. They estimated that between 1,200 and 1,500 NC State fans attended the event, and the organization found the ideal venue to host it. "When they first said they were going to have this thing for all these people, I said, 'They've got to have a hell of a bar,'" Deal said. "And it was a hell of a bar." This event allowed fans to gather in both indoor and outdoor bars, playing games that ranged from pickleball to cornhole. Wolfpack fans returning home were greeted at Raleigh-Durham International Airport by NC State players eager to show their gratitude for the support they received at the Final Four. PHOTO COURTESY WOLFPACK CLUB TRAVELING PARTY NC State Supporters Enjoy The Wolfpack Club's Hospitality During A Historic Trip To The Final Four B