March Madness returning to Raleigh; Town of Cary awarded 11 national championships

Raleigh, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2020) – March Madness will return to PNC Arena in 2025, and the Town of Cary was awarded 11 national championship events across four sports. Those were the highlights of today’s NCAA announcement on future championship host sites spanning academic years 2022-23 through 2025-26.

Thirteen preliminary and championship events were awarded to the Greater Raleigh area including Men's Basketball 1st and 2nd Rounds in 2025 at PNC Arena, and the Town of Cary will again be home to five NCAA College Cups (men’s and women’s) and the Baseball Division II World Series. Seven of the events in Cary will be hosted by the University of North Carolina.

NC State University was awarded Men's Basketball 1st and 2nd Rounds in 2025 and the Division I Women’s Golf Regional in 2023. This will mark the sixth time that PNC Arena and NC State have hosted March Madness since 2004.

The Town of Cary was awarded 11 national championships – four Division II Baseball World Series, two Men’s Soccer College Cups, three Women’s Soccer College Cups and two Women’s Lacrosse Championships. This will be the first time the area has hosted the Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship.

The University of North Carolina will host seven national championships in Cary, the five College Cups and the two Women’s Lacrosse Championships.

The University of Mount Olive (UMO) will host the Division II Baseball World Series for four consecutive years (2023-2026). UMO has hosted the event 10 times since 2009 and will do so again in 2021 and 2022.

Overall, the state of North Carolina was awarded 28 future championships which is the third-highest total in the nation behind California (34) and Texas (30). Previously, the Greater Raleigh area has hosted 63 NCAA championship events since 2000, according to the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA).

NC State University will host the following championships:

The Town of Cary will be the site of the following national championships:

Statement from Scott Dupree, Executive Director, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA):

“This is a superb day for Raleigh, Cary and the entire region. It’s a wonderful and much-needed jolt of good economic news at this particular time, as we all strive to move forward and emerge from this pandemic.”

“We are thrilled with the news that the NCAA has decided to bring 13 more championship events to Greater Raleigh in the coming years. Our region has a strong and longstanding partnership with the NCAA, and we are always honored to host national championships in a variety of sports. We never get tired of it and we never take it for granted because, as everyone knows, this process is incredibly competitive. Greater Raleigh is known nationally as a top championship destination, and today’s announcement only reinforces that well-earned reputation.”

“None of this would be possible without our tremendous host partners. NC State, the Town of Cary and UNC submitted the majority of our bids. All three have a sterling reputation and lengthy track-record of hosting NCAA events. The same goes for the University of Mount Olive, which has done an amazing job of hosting the Division II Baseball Championships since 2009. And once again, PNC Arena has clearly established itself as a premier and preferred venue for March Madness in the eyes of the NCAA.”

Interviews with a GRSA spokesperson can be arranged via phone, video conference or in person. To arrange an interview, please contact Jessica Holt, Public Relations Manager, at 919.614.2895 or jholt@visitRaleigh.com.


About the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA):
A division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) - the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) markets and promotes Raleigh and all of Wake County in order to generate and/or retain sports-related businesses (tournaments, championships, special events and meetings) for the purpose of economic development. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes nearly 18 million visitors annually whose spending tops $2.9 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 28,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates more than $284 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $727 in taxes annually. raleighsports.org

Media Contact:
Jessica Holt, Public Relations Manager
919.614.2895
jholt@visitRaleigh.com

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