How old is the NC State, VMI football series? It started before the Wright brothers flew

Jadyn Watson-Fisher
·2 min read

N.C. State hosts Virginia Military Institute this weekend in its third non-conference matchup. The series is one of State’s oldest, but the teams haven’t met up in three generations.

A lot has changed since the Wolfpack and Keydets faced off back in the 1946, a year after World War II ended.

Series quick facts

  • Year N.C. State was founded: 1887

  • Year VMI was founded: 1839

  • First season of N.C. State football: 1892

  • First meeting: 1895

  • Series record: 7-11-1, VMI leads

  • Points scored by VMI in series: 225

  • Points scored by N.C. State: 200

  • Years since first meeting: 128

  • Years since last meeting: 77

  • Team name at the time of series inception: North Carolina A&M Farmers

  • U.S. president at the time of first game: Grover Cleveland

  • U.S. president at the time of last game: Harry Truman

  • U.S. presidents since last meeting: 13

  • N.C. State head coaches since last meeting: 12

What the NC State, VMI series predates

  • The first radio patent (1896)

  • The first aircraft flight (1903)

  • Both World Wars (1914-1918; 1939-1945)

  • Televisions (1927)

  • Utah (1896)

  • Oklahoma (1907)

  • New Mexico (1912)

  • Arizona (1912)

  • Sinking of Titanic (1912)

  • Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

  • Alaska (1959)

  • Hawaii (1959)

  • First man on the moon (1969)

Other facts about the series

N.C. State was originally called North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (1887–1918) and North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (1918–1962)

When the series first began, teams received four points for a touchdown, two points for a PAT, and two points for a safety. The scoring system changed through the series.

First-year VMI head coach Danny Rocco faced N.C. State in 2013. At the time, he was the head coach at Richmond, another FCS program. The Spiders lost to the Wolfpack, 23-21.

The Wolfpack and Keydets play on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.