Advertisement

Triangle receives 10 NCAA postseason sites, including 2028 March Madness regional

jadyn watson-fisher
·6 min read

Ten future NCAA championship and regional events will come to sites in the Triangle in the coming years, including eight in the Greater Raleigh area, the athletic governing body announced on Wednesday.

“We have a long track record and have been very successful at hosting NCAA championships in this market, including men’s basketball,” Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, told the News & Observer. “It’s a big moment for Raleigh, and it’s a big day for our community and for our market.”

The announcement was highlighted by N.C. State earning host privileges for the 2028 Division I Men’s Basketball East Regional at the Lenovo Center, formerly PNC Arena, in Raleigh. This will be the first regional in the arena and the first time Raleigh has hosted the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds since 1982, which took place at Reynolds Coliseum.

It joins cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and San Francisco, who were among the regional sites announced for 2027 and 2028.

A rendering shows expected signage on the Lenovo Center, formerly PNC Arena, in Raleigh after the announcement that Lenovo had acquired naming rights for the facility.
A rendering shows expected signage on the Lenovo Center, formerly PNC Arena, in Raleigh after the announcement that Lenovo had acquired naming rights for the facility.

The Wolfpack will also host an NCAA Division I women’s gymnastics regional in 2027 at Reynolds Coliseum.

Host privileges don’t stop at the Raleigh city limits. Cary will serve as the championship site for multiple soccer and baseball championships in 2026 and 2027.

Teams will play for the Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer College Cup, at WakeMed Soccer Park in 2026 and 2027. The University of North Carolina will serve as the host school for the quartet of national championships.

Lastly, the 2027 and 2028 Division II Baseball World Series will be held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex and hosted by the University of Mount Olive.

“(Cary officials) have made this a priority now for the last 20 some years to become a premier destination for collegiate and amateur sports,” Dupree said. “Above all else, they’ve done just a magnificent job becoming a top destination for NCAA championships among all cities.”

Pittsburgh leads the way with seven events. Cary is second with six.

UNC will host the 2027 Division I Field Hockey championship finals and Duke earned the rights to host the 2027 National Collegiate Fencing finals.

Fans celebrate a 2-1 UNC-Chapel Hill victory over Wake Forest during the Division I Men’s Soccer Championship quarterfinals at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary Monday, May 10, 2021.
Fans celebrate a 2-1 UNC-Chapel Hill victory over Wake Forest during the Division I Men’s Soccer Championship quarterfinals at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary Monday, May 10, 2021.

The Raleigh area is accustomed to hosting NCAA events on the Division I and Division II levels. It has hosted 77 NCAA championship events since 2000, according to the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

Then-PNC Arena hosted first- and second-round men’s March Madness games in 2004, 2008, 2014 and 2016. It was supposed to host games in 2021, but the tournament was consolidated due to COVID-19 safety protocols. It will host opening weekend games in the spring, as well.

Fourteen Division II World Series have been played in Cary, with Mount Olive serving as the host.

The town has hosted 38 NCAA Championships since 2003 and hosts three in the 2024-25 academic year.

“Cary has really established themselves as a premier destination for NCAA championships,” Dupree said. “Today proved that even further.”

Overall, the state of North Carolina was awarded 17 future championships, tied for fourth-most in the nation.

Dupree said the site designations speak to three major factors: great facilities at each location, a community that loves sports, and excellent partner organizations. He emphasized the importance of UNC, NC State, Mount Olive and the Town of Cary, saying they do the heavy lifting when it comes to bidding and actually hosting the events. The NCAA knows each one works hard to provide participants, fans and the community with a great experience.

“You can’t put a price tag on that, for the NCAA, the value of that trust factor of sending our events to places where we know they’re going to take good care of them and they’re going to really love them,” Dupree said. “They’re really driving this. This would not happen without them. They are critical to the success.”

The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance worked with its partner organizations to submit 20 bids. It received eight. More than 1,200 bids were submitted for 240 sites.

It’s unclear exactly what the economic impact will be from the eight events, but Dupree provided a glimpse with conservative estimates. The College Cups bring in about $1.5 million annually, while the Division II World Series provides roughly $1 million annually.

When Raleigh hosted the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first and second rounds, it brought in about $10 million. By 2028, Dupree estimates the city will see $20 million in direct visitor spending.

“Sports tourism really drives the economy,” Dupree said. “People love sports. They travel for sports. They’re obsessed with sports. And sports has, for as long as I can remember, has been an economic engine for cities like Raleigh and Cary.”

The figures could change based on extenuating circumstances and what teams play in the events, but regardless they will continue to positively impact the Triangle and North Carolina by supporting local businesses and creating tax revenue and provide a great experience for visitors.

“In my opinion, it’s the best market in America for college sports,” Dupree said. “It’s part of the fabric, it’s part of the DNA here. People just love college sports. That is reflected by attendance at NCAA basketball, College Cup soccer, Division II baseball. Any college sports that are hosted here do well, because people love it. It’s just, it’s just a vibrant, strong, successful college sports market.”

2027, 2028 postseason sites in NC

Baseball

2027 & 2028 Division II Finals

  • Cary, NC

  • USA Baseball National Training Complex

  • Hosts: University of Mount Olive and Cary, North Carolina

Men’s basketball

2027 Division I First & Second Rounds

  • Charlotte, NC

  • Spectrum Center

  • Hosts: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Atlantic Coast Conference

2028 Division I East Regional

  • Raleigh, NC

  • Lenovo Center

  • Host: NC State

Cross country

2026 Division II Regionals

  • Kernersville, NC

  • Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex

  • Hosts: Winston-Salem State University and Visit Winston-Salem

Fencing

2027 National Collegiate Finals

  • Durham, NC

  • Cameron Indoor Stadium

  • Host: Duke University

Field hockey

2027 Division I Finals

  • Chapel Hill, NC

  • Karen Shelton Stadium

  • Host: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

2027 Division II Finals

  • Wingate, NC

  • Irwin Belk Stadium

  • Host: Wingate University

Women’s golf

2028 Division I Regionals

  • Bermuda Run, NC

  • Bermuda Run Country Club

  • Host: Wake Forest University

Women’s gymnastics

2027 National Collegiate Regionals

  • Raleigh, NC

  • Reynolds Coliseum

  • Host: North Carolina State University

Soccer

2026 & 2027 Men’s College Cup

  • Cary, NC

  • WakeMed Soccer Park

  • Hosts: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Cary, North Carolina

2026 & 2027 Women’s College Cup

  • Cary, NC

  • WakeMed Soccer Park

  • Hosts: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Cary, North Carolina

Swimming and diving

2027 & 2028 Division III Finals

  • Greensboro, NC

  • Greensboro Aquatic Center

  • Host: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

Women’s Water Polo

2028 National Collegiate Finals

  • Greensboro, NC

  • Greensboro Aquatic Center

  • Hosts: Guilford College and Greensboro Aquatic Center