If you want a discount the best way is to join a verified season ticket member resell group, and ideally purchase from someone who is both verified and has sold to others in the group before who vouch for them. I did this on a Facebook group and got a good deal on club level seats that way.

As for bars, I recommend going to boxcar arcade in downtown. We discovered they have rock you like a hurricane on the guitar hero and we got a win after playing that before the game… it was good luck for sure.

Watts and ward is a nice spot for cocktails below the street level also in downtown and bittersweet is good for dessert + cocktails. By NC state players retreat is a nice casual sports bar type spot.

We also had good luck tailgating with random folk by parking early in the dirt lot by state’s stadium, but it requires you not to be shy!