East Carolina and NC State have 34 meetings on file, the first in 1970; NC State leads the series 20–14 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s NC State 6–4. The winner takes home the Victory Barrel. NC State holds it. Share
Scheduled2027 at NC State; 2028 at East Carolina; 2030 at East Carolina. As the programs’ Wikipedia articles list them (CC BY-SA).
Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Victory Barrel.
Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from East Carolina’s side (Dye 2–2 against Rein). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.
Both programs through the years
East Carolina NC StateTicks under the axis: each meeting, in the winner’s color
Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.
Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on). Most valuable: as the games’ Wikipedia articles name them (CC BY-SA).
Photos
ECU prepares to hike the ball against rival NC State in Carter-Finley Stadium in 2008.Photo: JazonBladen, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThe 2008 game