The largest youth and amateur sporting event in the Triangle returns to Wake County, November 4-December 3, 2017, with WRAL Soccer Park serving as the headquarter venue and utilizing multiple other surrounding area fields. North Carolina Football Club (NCFC) Youth's annual visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series kicks off on Saturday, November 4, with the Girls Junior Showcase presented by Crabtree Valley Mall.

The visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series is the largest sporting event in the area based on number of teams (1,370) and number of hotel room-nights (35,000). Nearly 2,000 games (1,950) will run over four weekends in November and early December on 80 fields (at 21 complexes). An estimated 24,600 athletes will be competing.

The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA), a division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimates the area will see $21.4 million in direct visitor spending from the Showcase Series. More than 100 area hotels are blocking rooms, and the Showcase Series will mean big business for restaurants and retail stores as well.

"NCFC Youth does a superb job with the visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series, and we are proud to provide support as a host partner," said Scott Dupree, GRSA Executive Director. "No other event in the Triangle brings the number of teams and fills hotels and restaurants the way the Showcase Series does. This event has a massive impact on our local economy."

Total attendance over the four weekends is projected to be around 67,500 people, from 35 states, including athletes, families, spectators and coaches. Attendees will also include 850 college coaches in town for scouting and recruiting purposes, plus 800 local and visiting referees. This will be the 37th consecutive year of this tournament taking place in the Raleigh area.

"Our staff, host partner and local businesses have worked diligently to make sure that visiting teams will have an enjoyable experience on and off the field," said Gary Buete, NCFC Youth CEO. "The next few weeks of soccer will provide great competition for youth soccer players as well as a unique platform to showcase all that our city has to offer."

visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series Schedule:
Girls Junior Showcase presented by Crabtree Valley Mall; November 4-5, 2017
Boys Junior Showcase presented by Mellow Mushroom; November 11-12, 2017
Boys College Showcase presented by US Coast Guard; November 17-19, 2017 
Girls College Showcase presented by US Coast Guard; December 1-3, 2017

For more information on the visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series visit the NCFC Youth website.

About the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance:
The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) markets and promotes Raleigh and all of Wake County in order to generate and/or retain sports-related business (tournaments, championships, special events and meetings) for the purpose of economic development. The GRSA's 21-member Advisory Board takes a leadership role in helping to chart the future of the sports event industry in Wake County. The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance is a division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau:
The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB), as the official destination marketing organization of Raleigh and Wake County, accelerates sustainable economic growth and development by increasing visitor and convention business. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes more than 15 million visitors annually whose spending tops $2.4 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 25,500 local jobs in Wake County and generates more than $242 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $663 in taxes annually. For more information go to visitRaleigh.com.

About North Carolina FC Youth:
North Carolina FC Youth (NCFC Youth) is the product of a recent collaboration between youth clubs Capital Area Soccer League (CASL), Triangle Futbol Club Alliance (TFCA) and the professional North Carolina Football Club (NCFC), creating the largest youth-to-professional club in the country with more than 13,500 players and 660 coaches. NCFC Youth is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, led by CEO Gary Buete and governed by a Board of Directors, whose mission is to provide positive, high quality soccer opportunities at all levels of play for youth and their families and to serve as a valuable community partner

Media Contacts:
Scott Dupree, GRSA
Executive Director
(919) 645-2657
sdupree@raleighsports.org

Katharine Eberhardt, North Carolina FC Youth
Business Development Director
(919) 341-4553
katharine.eberhardt@ncfcyouth.com

# # #