More than 30 championship events are coming to North Carolina in 2018 and beyond. It’s the know-how at the local level learned from past involvement that tips the scale in favor of the Tar Heel state. Here are just a few big-time collegiate events that are finding a home in North Carolina.
NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
Charlotte will host first/second round action in March 2018 with Greensboro being awarded the basketball tournament in 2020. Raleigh will be hosting the competition in 2021.
NCAA Division II Baseball Championship
The USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary will host the 2018-22 championships.
NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships
WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary will host the women’s championships in 2018 and 2020. The men’s championship will visit Cary in 2019 and 2021.
NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships
Bryan Park Soccer Complex in Greensboro will host championships in both competitions from 2018-21.
NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships
Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem will host the championships. Raleigh will be hosting a Division I women’s golf regional competition in 2020, women’s gymnastics regional in 2020 and 2022 and men’s and women’s rifle championship in 2022. The 2019 Division I field hockey championship will be held in Winston-Salem. The Greensboro Aquatic Center welcomes Division III men’s and women’s swimming and diving championships in 2019-20.
ACC Championship Football Game
The conference has announced the championship games at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte have been extended through 2020.
ACC Men’s Championship Basketball Tournament
The ACC brings its men’s basketball championship to Charlotte’s Spectrum Center in 2019 and the Greensboro Coliseum in 2020.
ACC Women’s Championship Basketball Tournament
The women’s tournament returns to the Greensboro Coliseum in 2018.
The ACC Baseball Championship will be at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2018 and 2019. The men’s and women’s swimming and diving championships will be at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in 2018 through 2023. ACC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships are set for North Carolina golf courses in 2018 through 2021. Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships are a the Cary Tennis Park in 2018, while the ACC Women’s Soccer Championship will be hosted by Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park.
There are numerous examples of North Carolina hosting professional, collegiate and amateur competitions. Big-time events like the 2017 PGA Championship and NASCAR races to the Tryon 2018 FEI Equestrian Games are just a few. Major destinations in North Carolina with worldclass venues and facilities, lodging and dining options are always in the mix when planners and event holders are shopping for locations. Well-deserved coverage in print, broadcast and social media tell the state’s story. And there is still more to tell.
From Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports in the mountains to the Carteret County/Crystal Coast TDA in Morehead City on the coast, the 37 members of SportsNC are filling every weekend with individual and team, youth and adult competitions. They are the backbone of North Carolina sports tourism and planners have learned to count on their experience and expertise. The major players certainly earn the well-deserved headlines, but at SportsNC, it is truly a team effort.
