POP Back ’26
#PackTheOval
Kick the Year Off with a party
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Join us for our 4th annual POP Back event at The Oval Lawn on Centennial Campus on August 27, 2026 from 4 – 8 p.m!Â
Hosted by NC State’s College of Engineering, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Wilson College of Textiles.
Join the Centennial Campus community as we Pack the Oval with free food trucks, games, music and internship/co-op opportunities.
Dunk your favorite faculty and staff; rock out with live music; pose with Mr and Ms Wuf; check out every department, student organization and campus group on Centennial; and get to know some of the most popular employers at this blow-out event.
Enter the T-Shirt Competition
Submit your design for the official POP Back 2026 T-shirt and be part of one of NC State Engineering’s signature traditions. The selected design will be worn by thousands of students at POP Back and featured across college channels.
Draw inspiration from Centennial Campus, engineering innovation or Wolfpack spirit to create a design that represents the start of a new academic year.
The competition was open to current NC State students. Submissions closed July 1.
Mouth-watering Free Food Trucks
Activities, Attractions and Bands
- Dunk Tank
- Mechanical Bull
- Rock-Climbing Wall
- Mini Golf
- Yard Games
- Student Organizations
- Academic Opportunities
- Live Music featuring Relay Relay
Sponsors
Interested in sponsoring the event? Reach out to the NC State POP Back Sponsorship team for more information at [email protected]
Opportunities include zone, band, hydration and table sponsorships.
2026 POP Back Sponsors
Take a Glimpse
Check out photos from previous years’ POP Back event!
After the resounding annual successes of POP Back event, which consistently see an impressive turnout of over 7000 students and participation from more than 50 student organizations and a dozen corporate partners, POP Back returns on August 27, 2026. POP Back has quickly established itself as the premier semester-start event on Centennial Campus, providing an invaluable platform for students to connect, network, and kick off the academic year with enthusiasm.
This partnership event is put on by the Engineers’ Council, the College of Engineering, the College of Education, the Wilson College of Textiles, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and with support from Centennial Real Estate.