Everybody knows that college basketball is king in the state of North Carolina. That even applies to overlooked mid-major programs like the East Carolina Pirates. Granted, compared to some of the state’s heavyweights, it’s a little easier to find cheap East Carolina basketball tickets. But that just makes seeing the Pirates a bargain. Of course, even if the Pirates haven’t risen to the same level of success as some nearby programs, there is still a high demand for last-minute East Carolina basketball tickets.

A Pirate’s Life

Much like Pirates sail the seven seas, East Carolina basketball has moved around a lot during its history. The Pirates were originally an NAIA program when they played their first season in 1931-32. They even had a few impressive seasons in the 1950s before ultimately making the move to Division I in the 60s. Since then, East Carolina has been a member of the Southern Conference, the Colonial Athletic Association, and Conference USA while also spending a few years as an independent before eventually settling in the American Athletic Conference.

The Battle Continues

Throughout their travels to different conferences, the Pirates have found it difficult to find their footing on the basketball court. To date, East Carolina has never won a regular-season conference championship. However, the Pirates did win their conference tournament and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament in both 1972 and 1993. Unfortunately, it’s otherwise been a struggle for ECU basketball. Alas, the Pirates showed some upward mobility in the 2010s, earning a few invitations to the CIT postseason tournament. It’s a sign that the program is moving in the right direction and that brighter days are ahead for the Pirates.