Happy anniversary, Mr. and Ms. Wuf. The love story behind NCSU’s enduring mascot couple
The raucous Wolfpack crowd fell to a hush as Ms. Wuf floated to half-court in a floor-length gown and bridal veil, clutching a bouquet of flowers and holding back howls of joy.
A host of cheerleaders flocked around her as NC State University’s chancellor presented his mascot daughter to a beaming Mr. Wuf, who beamed in his tuxedo, ears tucked under his top hat.
And as they exchanged vows through 20-pound masks, the Wufs became the only married mascot couple in college sports, a union that celebrates its 44th anniversary Friday.
They appeared clutching paws in an Instagram post on Feb. 4, a wedding ring still glowing the bride’s mittened hand.
“Congratulations my friends!” wrote one fan and future student. “Love is the strongest bond there is and I am proud of you both! May the Lord continue to guide you through your journeys in life and GO PACK!”
‘There ought to be a wedding’
After two Final Four runs last season, the NC State women’s basketball team is sizzling again this year, though the men seem certain to spend an early spring on the sofa.
But regardless, the Wuf family’s 1981 nuptials deserve a champagne and Cheerwine toast, especially considering the 44th anniversary has the Tar Heel-colored turquoise gemstone as its symbol.
Some historical tidbits from the Wolfpack wedding album:
It’s tempting to imagine the Wufs as a young dating couple, making wolf eyes at each other from the Reynolds Coliseum sidelines, maybe even sharing dens as their romance intensified.
But the whole idea for married mascots grew out of a national cheerleading camp in 1980, where all the other squads referred to the Wolfpack pair as Mr. and Mrs. Wolf.
“We had never been ‘married,’ “ recalled she-Wuf Susan C. Smith in a 1981 interview with The Technician, “so I thought there ought to be a wedding.”
The Wufs chose halftime at a Raleigh basketball game with Wake Forest University so the Deacon mascot could preside. They chose a 4-year-old flower girl, Tricia Ann Cheeks, and a 5-year-old ring bearer, Chris Combs, because the two had been following Mr. Wuf around the coliseum and pulling his tail.
(Combs would, of course, become an NC State baseball legend before succumbing to ALS in 2020 ...)
Thirty years later, in 2011, the Wufs would meet again at center court, renewing their vows in red and white.
ACC mascot bachelors
So on this happy anniversary, minds will inevitably turn to the ACC’s supporting cast of mascots, all eternally single.
Does Rameses the UNC ram get left-swiped on Tinder because of those angry eyebrows?
Does Wake Forest’s deacon ever stray from the path of godliness?
Can anyone imagine a lonelier picture than Otto the Orange alone in a Syracuse bar, nursing his whiskey sour at last call?
We give thanks for longevity in Raleigh on this 44th anniversary, grateful for love that lasts, hopeful that all who seek it shall find it.
Happy anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Wuf. And happy March Madness to all.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Happy anniversary, Mr. and Ms. Wuf. The love story behind NCSU’s enduring mascot couple."