As NC State prepares to send its men's and women's basketball teams to the Final Four for the first time in the same season, players on the program's 1983 National Championship-winning men's team are sharing their thoughts on the phenomenon that's overtaken Hillsborough Street.
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"I've been there, and done that, and the energy of it is infectious and I love it," said Ernie Myers, a freshman on the 1983 team and a commentator for the NC State Women's team. "It makes you feel young."
Given the Wolfpack men's improbable run to both an ACC Championship and now, the Final Four, it's easy to draw comparisons to '83. But Myers says it's not that simple.
"We were the "Cardiac Pack". These guys are "Why not us?" They're writing their own story, and it's great to watch," he said.
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He said the biggest similarity between 1983 and 2024 is the effect they have on the university and the city. But as he walked off a team charter early Monday morning to a hero's welcome -- as the men's and women's teams celebrated with thousands of NC State students and fans -- he said it felt like déjà vu.
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"The excitement, and the fans coming up to us And I'm like, 'this is not about me.' This is about the women, this is about the men. I'm just a broadcaster," Myers said.
Now, as he reflects on what that magical run meant to the school and city 41 years ago, Myers shared a message with the next generation of Wolfpack legends authoring this new chapter.
"Yeah, don't stop. And don't give up. Just like Coach V says. Don't stop, keep going. And get the most out of it, because once it's over, it's over," he said.