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For the first time in NHL history, an outdoor game is being played in North Carolina.
NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium is hosting the 2023 Stadium Series, which features the nearby Hurricanes and the Capitals.
This marks the fourth time the league is using a college football stadium for the Stadium Series. Previously the NHL played the event at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium, the Navy’s Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the Air Force’s Falcon Stadium.
MORE: Watch the 2023 NHL Stadium Series on fuboTV
As it prepares to host the NHL’s outdoor event, The Sporting News takes a look inside the NC State stadium.
When was Carter-Finley Stadium built?
In the 1950s, NC State began the process of replacing Riddick Stadium, the first home of the football program. The facility was nearly 50 years old and was in need of an upgrade. Earl Edwards, the coach at NC State, pushed for a bigger and more modernized venue to play at.
NC State and the Wolfpack Club began the process in 1962 and broke ground on the construction in 1964. The facility cost around $3.7 million to build but was finally opened in 1966.
Carter-Finley Stadium has been renovated a couple of times since, expanding the facilities and capacity.
Where is Carter-Finley Stadium?
Carter-Finley Stadium is located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The field is very conveniently located for the event. The football stadium is right across the street from PNC Arena, the home of the Hurricanes.
Carter-Finley Stadium capacity
Carter-Finley Stadium is not one of the bigger college football venues, however, the facility seats 56,919.
While other ACC stadiums have larger capacities, Carter-Finley has consistently had one of the best attendance ratings in the conference.
What is Carter-Finley Stadium named for?
Originally, Carter-Finley Stadium was not the name for the arena. At first, it was just tabbed Carter Stadium, named after a pair of brothers, Harry and W.J. “Nick” Carter. The two were NC State graduates and were major contributors to the construction of the stadium.
In 1979, the name “Finley” was added to make it Carter-Finley Stadium. That was in honor of Raleigh philanthropist A.E. Finley, who gave $290,000 to finance the fieldhouse at the facility.
What other sporting events have been at Carter-Finley Stadium?
While a majority of the games played at Carter-Finley are college football, there have been non-football events played at the facility.
Carter-Finley served as the primary venue for the 1999 Special Olympics. The events that took place at the facility included track and field, handball, softball, soccer and gymnastics.
In addition, the World Football Challenge held a friendly between Juventus of Italy’s Serie A and Guadalajara Chivas of Mexico’s Primera Division at the stadium in 2011. Juventus won the exhibition match 1-0.
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