Most NC State fans and athletes recognize the rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels as their biggest.

The wolf depicted is known by NC State fans as "Tuffy" (not to be confused with the on-site mascots, Mr. and Ms. Wuf), and has been the primary athletic logo since 2021.

The name was unofficially adopted by the football program in 1921 following an unsigned letter to the NC State Alumni News suggesting the moniker "Wolf Pack".

Prior to the adoption of the current nickname, North Carolina State athletic teams went by such names as the Aggies, the Techs, the Red Terrors, and Farmers.

[12] In 2012, Popolizio left his previous program, Binghamton University, with All-American heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski leaving with him.

[13] North Carolina State University offers numerous non-varsity and club level sports throughout the year.

This includes, but is not limited to; baseball, basketball, cheerleading, crew, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, sailing, soccer, swimming, ultimate frisbee and many others.

NC State finished 12th at the 2012 Collegiate Rugby Championship, a tournament broadcast live on NBC from PPL Park in Philadelphia.

NC State is a Division 1/Cross-Regional classified team within the ICSA competing on par with varsity programs.

The SailPack has qualified for SAISA conference championship regattas in coed fleet racing consecutively since the fall of 2012.

NC State won the SAISA Conference Coed Fleet Racing title in 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 seasons.

As of 2024 NC State is the highest ranking active program in North Carolina ahead of Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Wilmington, Wake Forest, UNC-Charlotte, ECU, and Davidson.

In 2018–19, NC State finished with an undefeated regular season capped off with an ACCHL title, regional championship and a Nationals appearance.

NC State also boasts a growing men's lacrosse team, formerly an NCAA Division I program from 1973 to 1982.

[25] NC State club sports and intramural championships are covered by PackTV, a division of the Office of Information Technology at the university.

[26][27] NC State athletes have won 45 NCAA and 7 AIAW individual championships as of November 18, 2022 [26] Fourteen NC State athletes have won a total of 21 Olympic medals: Tommy Burleson and Kenny Carr in men's basketball; Joan Benoit in the women's marathon; Lucas Kozeniesky in rifle; Diana Shnaider in women's tennis; and Stephen Rerych, Steve Gregg, Dan Harrigan, Duncan Goodhew, David Fox, Cullen Jones, Ryan Held, David Bethlehem, and Katharine Berkoff in swimming.

Since 1975, the NC State Wolfpack athletic teams have been represented at athletic events by its mascots, Mr. and Ms. Wuf, who were married on February 28, 1981, by the Demon Deacon at Reynolds Coliseum at halftime of a college basketball game between NC State and Wake Forest.