Carter–Finley Stadium


Wayne Day Family Field at Carter–Finley Stadium is home to the NC State Wolfpack football team. It was opened in 1966 and has grown to a seating capacity of 57,583 seats.

History

As early as the 1950s, State was looking to replace its on-campus facility, Riddick Stadium. The concrete-and-wood stadium had been built in 1907 and was showing its age. It never held more than 23,000 seats at any time. Partly because of this, many of longtime coach Earle Edwards' teams played more games on the road than at home. At Edwards' urging, school officials began a concerted effort to build a more modern facility
The new stadium finally opened in 1966. It was originally named Carter Stadium, in honor of Harry C. & Wilbert J. "Nick" Carter, both graduates of the university. They were major contributors to the original building of the stadium. The name of Albert E. Finley, another major contributor to the university, was added in September 1979.
While located on University land, the stadium is a few miles to the west of the academic campus on Trinity Road, just off Hillsborough Street.
Carter–Finley Stadium's season tickets have been sold out for nine straight years.
Carter–Finley Stadium has the smallest clearance between the stands and the sidelines of any stadium in the ACC.
Retired numbers displayed on the west facade of Carter–Finley Stadium include those of Roman Gabriel, Torry Holt, Philip Rivers, Bill Yoest, Dennis Byrd, Dick Christy, Jim Ritcher, Ted Brown, Mario Williams and Bradley Chubb ; and Russell Wilson. Carter–Finley also displays banners from NC State's Bowl appearances which include the Gator Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Liberty Bowl.

Renovations

Prior to the 2001 season, the university began a program of modernization of the stadium by enclosing the southern end zone with seats, and the state-of-the-art Murphy Center was built behind it. Following the 2004 football season, Carter–Finley was again expanded with the completion of the "Vaughn Towers", a complex of luxury boxes, club seats, and media facilities which opened for the 2005 football season.
For the 2006 season, a new north end zone grandstand was added consisting of 5,730 new chairback, bench, and handicap-accessible seating with another 1,630 permanent bleacher seats built underneath the video scoreboard making Carter–Finley a bowl and giving it a capacity of 57,583 spectators. Additional upgrades to the stadium included a new north end zone plaza with concession stands and the addition of two video screens in each corner of the south end zone.

Notable events

Concerts

Soccer

On July 28, 2011, the World Football Challenge held an exhibition match between Juventus of Italy's Serie A, and Guadalajara Chivas of Mexico's Primera Division at the stadium.

Hockey

On February 20, 2021, the Carolina Hurricanes will host a Stadium Series game against an opponent TBA. This was announced on February 15, 2020 at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series in Colorado Springs but was leaked out a few hours prior., this event is still planned to happen in 2021 with fans in attendance. All should remain this way unless there are other circumstances.