Non-revenue sports deserve more hype

Mariana Fabian Opinion Editor

NC State’s football and men’s basketball teams are our school’s pride and joy. It’s for all the right reasons; our teams are incredibly talented, with the stats to show for it, and the revenue that each of them bring home each year is astounding.

However, it’s time Wolfpack fans start passing around the love for the NC State’s non-revenue sports, which practically consists of any sport other than the aforementioned pair. Some of these sports include swimming and diving, track and field, baseball, softball, tennis, wrestling, gym

2022, the Wolfpack men’s swim and dive won 12 straight ACC titles; it also was the most titles for the sport in ACC history. As for women’s swim and dive, it’s earned four ACC titles in program history. Notably, senior Katharine Berkoff currently holds the American and US Open record for 100yard backstroke with a time of 48.74 seconds. She was the first woman to break the 49-second barrier in this event. Additionally, these teams have produced Olympians, Olympic medalists, USA Champions, NCAA Champions, All-Americans and title-holders. Both men’s and women’s teams rank in the top five, with the women sitting at No. 4 and the men at No. 5.

Katelyn Tuohy. At 20 years old, Tuohy is decorated with NCAA Champion, ACC, All-American honors and more. She’s broken several records throughout her career, and there’s arguably not another athlete as gifted as her at NC State right now.

In fact, on Jan. 29, Tuohy broke an NCAA record by finishing third in the women’s indoor mile with a time of 4:24.26, beating Jenny Simpson’s past record of 4:25.91, set in 2009. Tuohy’s record is now on the U.S. top mile times list.

Now, a quick run of other non-revenue sports that deserve some more attention: wrestling has been ranked among the top 10 for the last seven years, women’s tennis just earned a No. 6 ranking while men’s tennis was ranked at No. 19 and our gymnastics team is currently ranked No. 23 in the nation. The women’s track and field squad ended up ranked No. 4 in the 2021-22 season as well.

While I understand that some of these non-revenue sports may have lower viewership when compared to football and basketball, it shouldn’t diminish their relevance. Because these sports don’t get as much attention as the previous sports, it’s even more important that Wolfpack fans show these incredible athletes that you care about them

The events are usually free of charge and lots of fun, and you’re supporting NC State Athletics even more. Even if you don’t understand the rules of wrestling, swimming, tennis or any other non-revenue sport, you can be a part of something bigger by helping these athletes feel appreciated.

JERMAINE HUDSON/TECHNICIAN