Naming partner hunt for NC State stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, December 4^th, 2024

Image: Carter-Finley Stadium, Jcmurphy, CC BY-SA 3.0

North Carolina State University’s Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh could soon have a new name.

WRAL News said NC State Athletics has partnered with Independent Sports and Entertainment (ISE) to identify a potential naming rights partner for the venue.

North Carolina State University is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas.

The 56,919 capacity Carter-Finley Stadium has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting venues in college football and is home to the university’s Wolfpack athletics teams.

WRAL News said the search for a naming rights partner comes as college athletic departments are expected to begin sharing revenue with athletes as part of a $2.8 billion court settlement with former athletes.

The settlement could be approved in April, and schools could share $20.5 million with athletes starting next July. This has sent schools scrambling to find additional revenue.

North Carolina recently announced that it would consider putting additional corporate logos on its fields, stadiums and uniforms to generate additional revenue for revenue sharing.

NC State football coach Dave Doeren said: “Those are the times we’re in. Athletic directors and athletic departments need to raise money with this new legislation and the amount of dollars that revenue sharing has put on their plates.”

NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan said in August: “We’ve got to be creative in the way that we approach this, from finding new revenue streams to continuing to grow the pie.”

The athletic department announced its Pack Forward program earlier this year, revamping its football tickets, parking and donations program.

Meanwhile, a new $1 billion mixed-use development is on the boards for the area surrounding Lenovo Center, home of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and NC State basketball.

The redevelopment of the 80-acre site, located adjacent to Carter-Finley Stadium, will provide new opportunities for shopping, dining and entertainment throughout the year, and will feature a unique outdoor realm for sports tailgating and programming in Raleigh.

Lenovo Center seats 18,700 for ice hockey and 19,500 for basketball and includes 61 suites, 13 luxury boxes and 2,000 club seats. The building has three concourses and a 300-seat restaurant. It is due to undergo a $300 million renovation.

Carter-Finley Stadium is adjacent to Lenovo Center. The arena recently changed from PNC Arena to Lenovo Center. Before PNC Arena, it was known as RBC Center.

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