While NC State fans are proud to represent Wolfpack Country nationwide, the nickname actually started off as a pejorative. The legend goes that, in 1921, a disgruntled football fan wrote in the school newspaper that the football team "acted like a wolfpack," and would never be winners. NC State football wore the insult as a badge of honor for over 25 years, with all of the school’s athletic programs adopting the “Wolfpack” nickname in 1947.