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Members of the NC State Men’s basketball team in 1983 tried to compensate for lost time, but a judge had not.
Members of the national championship team, coached by Jim Valvano, filed a case requesting zero compensation last year.
“For more than 40 years, NCAA and its conspirators have been systematically and intentionally abused Cardiac Pack’s advertising-inclusive their names, images and equality associations with this game and the game, reaping scores of millions of dollars from Cardiac Pack’s legendary victory,” the trial via ESPN said.
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North Carolina State’s Sidney Lowe, #35, gets rebound against Houston’s Clyde Drexler, #22, under the NCAA Final Four in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 4, 1983. (Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated Via Getty Images)
However, a judge in North Carolina rejected the trial of this week with reference to the “untimely” argument and “failure to violate a violation of a legally enforceable right.”
“We are proud of these heart package players who got up in the national struggle for justice against a system that collides to exploit young and often vulnerable students athletes,” said lawyer Stacy Miller, who represented the former NC State players, in a statement to Wral.
Wolfpack, who was minted “Catpack”, entered the March Madness Tournament (then only 52 teams) as No. 6 seeds and won several nail bitter on the way to the championship. Their first game was a 69-67 thriller against No. 11 Pepperdine. NC State then disturbed No. 3 UNLV, 71-70, before being dismantled No. 10 Utah in Sweet 16, 75-56.
Close -up of the North Carolina State’s Dereck Whittburg, #25, holds the network with teammates after winning a game against Virginia in the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah on March 26, 1983. (Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated Via Getty Images)
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Their toughest task up to this point had gone up to No. 1 Virginia, but they won a 63-62 victory to make Final Four. They took No. 4.
They won the title after an air ball from Dereck Whittberg was snagged in Midair and thumped home by Lorenzo Charles just before the buzzer – none of the players were involved in the suit.
NC State was on the bubble for most of the season to even take the tournament, but earned their bids by winning the ACC tournament, equivalent to the 2024 Wolfpack team that came to Final Four.
North Carolina State Coach Jim Valvano, left, celebrates a victory with Dereck Whittburg, #25, after winning a game against Virginia in Ogden, Utah, on March 26, 1983. (Andy Hayt/Sports Illustrated Via Getty Images)
The Cinderella’s race was transformed into an ESPN 30 for 30 entitled “Survive and Advance”, which has now become a stapler for other Cinderella teams.
