List of sports venues in North Carolina facts for kids

North Carolina is a super exciting state for sports fans! It's home to tons of cool places where athletes compete and crowds cheer. From huge arenas for basketball to speedy race tracks and massive football stadiums, there's a venue for almost every sport you can imagine.

This list will show you some of the most important and biggest sports venues across North Carolina. You'll learn about where famous teams play and where thrilling races happen.

Current Sports Venues

North Carolina has many amazing sports venues that are used today. They are grouped into three main types: arenas, race tracks, and stadiums.

Arenas

Arenas are usually indoor venues where sports like basketball, hockey, and indoor concerts take place. They are great for watching fast-paced games up close!

• Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro is one of the biggest arenas in North Carolina, holding up to 23,500 people! It's home to the UNCG Spartans and often hosts big basketball tournaments for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• The Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill is where the famous North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team plays. It can hold 21,750 fans, making it a very loud and exciting place on game nights.
• In Raleigh, you'll find PNC Arena, which is home to two major teams: the Carolina Hurricanes (a professional ice hockey team) and the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team. It has a capacity of 21,000.
• The Spectrum Center in Charlotte is where the professional basketball team, the Charlotte Hornets, play their home games. This arena can welcome over 20,200 fans.
• Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (LJVM Coliseum) in Winston-Salem is where the Wake Forest Demon Deacons basketball teams play, with room for 14,665 spectators.
• Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham is a legendary place for college basketball. It's the home of the Duke Blue Devils and is known for its incredibly passionate fans, even though it's smaller with a capacity of 9,314.
• Other notable arenas include Halton Arena in Charlotte (home to the Charlotte 49ers), Bojangles' Coliseum also in Charlotte (home to the Charlotte Checkers hockey team), and Minges Coliseum in Greenville (where the East Carolina Pirates play).
• The Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville is a general-use arena that hosts various events, including college basketball tournaments.
• Dorton Arena in Raleigh is famous for its unique curved roof and is located at the State Fairgrounds.
• Many universities across the state have their own arenas, like the John M. Belk Arena at Davidson College, Corbett Sports Center at North Carolina A&T, and Reynolds Coliseum at NC State.

Race Tracks

North Carolina is a huge hub for motorsports, especially stock car racing. Race tracks here range from massive superspeedways to smaller, local dirt tracks.

• Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord is one of the most famous race tracks in the world! It's a huge complex that includes an oval track, a road course, and even a drag strip. It can hold between 94,000 and 170,000 fans, making it one of the largest sports venues anywhere.
• North Wilkesboro Speedway is another historic oval racing track that can host 40,000 fans.
• Rockingham Speedway also offers both oval and road racing, with a capacity of 34,500.
• For drag racing, the zMax Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Rockingham Dragway are popular spots, both able to hold 30,000 spectators.
• Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem is unique because it's both a football stadium and an oval race track, holding 17,000 fans for racing events.
• The Dirt Track @ Charlotte is part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex and is dedicated to exciting dirt racing, with room for 14,000 people.
• Other important oval tracks include Hickory Motor Speedway, Orange County Speedway, Concord Motorsport Park, Ace Speedway, and Caraway Speedway.

Stadiums

Stadiums are typically outdoor venues used for sports like football, soccer, and baseball. North Carolina has many large stadiums, especially for college football.

• Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is the biggest stadium in North Carolina, with a capacity of 73,778! It's the proud home of the Carolina Panthers, North Carolina's professional football team, and also hosts major soccer matches.
• Carter–Finley Stadium in Raleigh is where the NC State Wolfpack college football team plays, with space for 57,583 fans.
• Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium in Greenville is home to the East Carolina Pirates and can hold 51,000 people.
• The North Carolina Tar Heels play at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, which has a capacity of 50,500.
• Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham is where the Duke Blue Devils play their football games, with room for 40,004 fans.
• Truist Field at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem is home to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team, holding 31,500 spectators.
• Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers, can host 30,000 football fans.
• Truist Stadium in Greensboro is home to the North Carolina A&T Aggies and is used for both football and track and field events.
• For baseball fans, Truist Field in Charlotte is home to the Charlotte Knights, a professional baseball team, and can hold 10,200 fans.
• The Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham is another popular baseball stadium, home to the famous Durham Bulls, with a capacity of 10,000.
• Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary is a top soccer venue, home to both the North Carolina FC (men's soccer) and North Carolina Courage (women's soccer) teams, with room for 10,000 fans.
• Many other colleges and minor league baseball teams have their own stadiums, like Five County Stadium in Zebulon (home to the Carolina Mudcats) and Segra Stadium in Fayetteville (home to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers).