ACC Gameday Experience: N.C. State

Published Aug. 16, 2012 3:24 p.m. ET

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Editor’s note: As we count down to the start of the college football season, FOX Sports Carolinas ranks the game-day experience around the Atlantic Coast Conference. We unveil the top choice on Tuesday, Aug. 21. (item rankings are based on a scale of 1 through 10):

4 – Carter-Finley Stadium, N.C. State (57,583)

Beauty (4): Pretty typical outside and inside the stadium. It could use some sprucing up, and the fake boulders in the tunnel, etc, are a bit tacky.

Tailgating (9): Maybe the second best in the ACC. They take it so seriously they are allowed to leave at halftime and get some more grub and bevies in. Huge lots that are in high demand.

Buzz (7): State fans love to make noise and be a part of the game, even hours before kickoff. Their spirit isn’t limited to the younger crowd, as few older fan bases make as much noise at Wolfpack supporters.

Fans (5): Not as fanatical as they like to think. Too many miss half the 3rd quarter to get in extra tailgating, and there have been too many empty seats for big late-season games in recent years. C-F can be off the charts, though, when UNC visits and for important night games.

History (3): NCSU has one double-digit win season in its history, so few noteworthy games outside its region have been played at C-F. Stadium was built in 1966, too.

Remark: The C-F experience is probably vastly underrated by folks outside the ACC region who know little about it, and it’s potential on some nights is incredible. It plays and sounds bigger than it is, and the Vaughan Towers are excellent. Bigger will be better, though.