NC State's first ACC contest was on the road against Wake Forest in December 1953. The Wolfpack was ranked #8 in the nation at the time, but just as in the first ever meeting between the two schools, Wake Forest prevailed. Case and his squad defeated the Demon Deacons later that season in the first-ever ACC Tournament championship game, 82–80 in overtime. The victory meant a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, where NC State defeated George Washington in the first round before losing to eventual champion La Salle in the second round. Case's squad won a second ACC title the following year, defeating Duke in 87–77 in the championship game. The team finished with a 28–4 record but was ineligible for postseason play; earlier in the season the NCAA imposed four years' probation and banned them from postseason play during that time for numerous recruiting violations. The Wolfpack brought home a third consecutive ACC title in the 1955–56 season, setting a record for consecutive ACC championships that stood until 2002. The team also played in its first televised game earlier that season, losing to North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 73–69. State struggled in the 1956–57 season, finishing fifth in the conference for the first time under Case. State's loss in the first round of that year's ACC Tournament also marked the first time that Case did not lead his team to the conference championship game. To add insult to injury, bitter rival North Carolina brought the ACC its first national championship. The team finished third in 1958 and was ranked 20th in the nation at the season's end but again lost early in the ACC Tournament, this time to North Carolina in the quarterfinals.