What does NC State's 'survive and advance' mean? 2024 team drawing comparisons to 1983 mantra

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORK

NC State basketball's 2024 season has been nothing short of magnificent – down the stretch, at least.

The Wolfpack has won seven consecutive games, five of which came in the ACC Tournament, which NC State won to even earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Now, it's gearing up to face 2 seed Marquette in the Sweet 16 of March Madness.

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NC State entered the ACC Tournament firmly outside of the projections of the 68-team field with a 17-14 record. However, the Wolfpack forced the NCAA's hand by going on a run and winning the ACC's automatic bid by winning the conference.

The 11 seed Wolfpack have drawn comparisons to another NC State team of destiny: The 1983 team. The 1983 program, led by legendary coach Jim "Jimmy V" Valvano, won the national championship that season.

The mantra "survive and advance" is familiar to NC State fans thanks to Valvano's run in 1983. The Wolfpack is aiming to do the same this season.

Here's a look back at how NC State coined "survive and advance" during its 1983 national championship run and the parallels it has with the 2024 team:

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NC State basketball: What is "Survive and advance"?

The 1983 NC State basketball squad embraced the mantra of "survive and advance" after winning the national championship that season. ESPN's "30 for 30" even made a documentary with the mantra as the title to recap the Cinderella run 30 years later in 2013.

That season, the Wolfpack won nine consecutive win-or-go-home games — seven of which they were losing in the final minutes — en route to winning one of the most improbable championships in the sport's history. NC State, a 6 seed, eventually defeated No. 1 overall seed Houston — which was led by Pro Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler — 54-52 in the championship.

NC State was also led by legendary coach Jim Valvano, who was known for having an eccentric personality and was one of the most likable coaches to ever lead. Valvano, better known as "Jimmy V," is most well-known for his "Don't Give Up" delivered at the ESPYs in 1993 after he won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Valvano died just a few weeks later from cancer, which he had been fighting since the year before.

The 2024 Wolfpack, which still has some games to go, has drawn comparisons to the 1983 squad that was labeled "the team of destiny." The comparisons would only be raised further should NC State be able to advance to the Elite Eight with a win over 2 seed Marquette.

Who coined "Survive and Advance?"

The expression "survive and advance" is attributed to the late Jim "Jimmy V" Valvano, who coached NC State to one of its two national championships in 1983.

That iteration of the Wolfpack went 17-10 in the regular season and 8-6 in ACC play before rattling off nine straight wins in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments en route to a national championship. It was during that run Valvano famously coined "survive and advance," which has become a mantra of March for every team. But its roots remain in Raleigh.

Who is Jim Valvano?

Jim Valvano is the former head coach of NC State basketball, where he coached from 1980-1990.

Valvano, nicknamed "Jimmy V," won the ACC Tournament in 1983 and 1987 and the national championship in 1983. He's also the namesake of the "V Foundation," which raises money for cancer research, and the "Jimmy V Award," which is given to an individual each year at the ESPYs that showed "perseverance and determination."

Valvano died from cancer in 1993, just weeks after delivering his "Don't Give Up" speech, a seminal moment of the ESPYs.

Valvano also coached at Iona, Bucknell and Johns Hopkins, and was an assistant at UConn and Rutgers during his career.

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NC State bracket 1983

Here's the full 1983 NCAA Tournament bracket, including the teams NC State beat to win the national championship:

  • First round: NC State 69, Pepperdine 67 (2OT)

  • Second round: NC State 71, UNLV 70

  • Sweet 16: NC State 75, Utah 56

  • Elite Eight: NC State 63, Virginia 62

  • Final Four: NC State 67, Georgia 60

  • National championship: NC State 54, Georgia 52

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What does NC State's 'survive and advance' mean?

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