NC State's 1983 national championship team has NIL case dismissed by judge
By Ryan Morik
Published August 07, 2025
Members of the 1983 N.C. State men's basketball team tried to make up for lost time, but a judge was not having it.
Members of that national championship squad, coached by Jim Valvano, filed a suit requesting NIL compensation last year.
"For more than 40 years, the NCAA and its co-conspirators have systematically and intentionally misappropriated the Cardiac Pack's publicity rights -- including their names, images, and likenesses -- associated with that game and that play, reaping scores of millions of dollars from the Cardiac Pack's legendary victory," the lawsuit said, via ESPN.
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However, a North Carolina judge dismissed the lawsuit this week, citing the "untimely" argument and "failure to allege a violation of a legally enforceable right."
"We are proud of these Cardiac Pack players who stood up in the national fight for justice against a system that colludes to exploit young and often vulnerable student athletes," lawyer Stacy Miller, who represented the former NC State players, said in a statement to WRAL.
The Wolfpack, who were coined the "Catpack," entered the March Madness tournament (then just 52 teams) as a No. 6 seed and won several nailbiters en route to the championship. Their first game was a 69-67 thriller against No. 11 Pepperdine. N.C. State then upset No. 3 UNLV, 71-70, before dismantling No. 10 Utah in the Sweet 16, 75-56.
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Their toughest task up to that point had been going up against No. 1 Virginia, but they earned a 63-62 win to make the Final Four. They took down No. 4. Georgia 67-60 before taking on No. 1 Houston, nicknamed Phi Slama Jama, in the championship.
They won the title after an air-ball from Dereck Whittenberg was snagged in midair and dunked home by Lorenzo Charles just before the buzzer - neither player was involved in the suit.
N.C. State was on the bubble for most of the season to even make the tournament but earned their bid by winning the ACC Tournament, similarly to the 2024 Wolfpack team that made it to the Final Four.
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The Cinderella run was turned into an ESPN 30 for 30 titled "Survive and Advance," which has now become a staple motto for other Cinderella teams.
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