It’s clear at this point that college hockey is becoming a thing in North Carolina.
In February 2023, in conjunction with the NHL’s Stadium Series in Carter-Finely Stadium, NC State’s and UNC’s club hockey programs staged a free game to fans. Granted the price was a good one but the event drew over 20,000 fans to the point where they had to go to the upper levels of the stadium. It put the spotlight on two programs that were in a situations collegiate fans weren’t used to. As club hockey programs, they don’t compete with the rest of the NCAA and essentially don’t have university support like other programs.