After winning four straight games, NC State has entered the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2010.
The Wolfpack were ranked No. 24 in the Oct. 1 Associated Press poll. NC State also entered the coaches poll at No. 24.
It’s the first time NC State has been ranked since the final poll of the 2010 season, when NC State was No. 25. It’s the highest the Pack has been in the poll since Nov. 21, 2010, when they were No. 21.
State entered the poll following Saturday’s win over Syracuse. Since a season-opening loss, NC State has defeated Marshall, Furman, Florida State in Tallahassee and the Orange.
The Wolfpack are one of five ACC teams in the poll. Clemson is No. 2, behind Alabama, although the Tigers cut into the Crimson Tide’s lead with a road win at Virginia Tech this week. Clemson received 17 first-place votes, up from eight last week, while Alabama fell from 52 to 44 first-place votes.
Miami, coming off a Friday night win at Duke, moved up one spot to No. 13. Virginia Tech dropped four spots to No. 16. Louisville, who visits NC State on Thursday night for a battle of ranked teams, remained at No. 17.
Thursday’s game against Louisville at Carter-Finley will be the first time NC State participates in a matchup of ranked teams since the No. 24 Pack traveled to No. 3 Ohio State on Sept. 13, 2003. It will be the first time Carter-Finley hosted a battle of ranked teams since Oct. 28, 2000, when No. 21 NC State played No. 6 Florida State.
State has lost its last five games as a ranked team, last winning in the 2003 season opener, 59-20 over Western Carolina, when the Pack opened the season at No. 16.
No other teams in the state of North Carolina received poll votes. Duke, who was 27th last week, with 79 poll points, was shut out after losing to Miami at home, 31-6. Wake Forest, who received one vote last week, lost the support after losing at home to Florida State.
