Owner of Durham Bulls to take over Wake County’s Five County Stadium
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Capitol Broadcasting will lease Five County Stadium after the Mudcats' exit.
- Wake County will pay $10 million for upgrades while CBC handles operations.
- New uses include Coastal Plain League games and Wake Tech athletic programs.
With the Carolina Mudcats playing their final game at Five County Stadium, Wake County and the town of Zebulon moved closer Tuesday night to picking a new tenant and operator of the stadium.
And it’s a familiar face for local baseball fans.
Wake County staff is recommending that Capitol Broadcasting Co. — owners of the Durham Bulls, the Holly Springs Salamanders and WRAL — lease and operate Five County Stadium and be given the rights to develop the land around the venue.
The Wake County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to have county and town staff negotiate a formal lease before a final vote in October.
“(Capitol Broadcasting) redeveloped Rocky Mount Mills and created the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the American Tobacco Campus – all flourishing facilities that offer top-tier restaurants and entertainment,” Commissioners Chair Susan Evans said in a news release. “CBC has the knowledge and experience we need to turn Five County Stadium into a vibrant destination for residents and visitors, and we can’t wait for them to get started.”
The lease will begin Jan. 1, 2026.
The 6,500 seat stadium is jointly owned by Wake County and Zebulon. It’s been home to the Carolina Mudcats, a Minor League Baseball Class-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, for 35 years.
In 2024, the Mudcats announced they were moving to a new $70 million stadium in Wilson that’s set to open before the start of the 2026 season.
Before its move, the team sought $15 million in improvements at the stadium to comply with Major League Baseball standards and non-mandated improvements meant to “create a fun atmosphere to draw in fans.”
Under its proposal, Capitol Broadcasting will host a Coastal Plain League baseball team at the stadium, along with games played by Wake Technical Community College’s baseball, softball and men’s and women’s soccer teams. It will also assume all operating costs, including basic maintenance.
Wake County and Zebulon will receive $710,000 in lease payments over 10 years and the ability to host up to 10 rent-free events each year. To encourage additional activity at the stadium, Capitol Broadcasting will receive $1.50 per ticket sold for events beyond the required leasing sports events, up to $100,000 a year.
However, the county and town are still responsible for capital repairs, and they agreed to pay $10 million through 2027 “in facility improvements and establish a capital repair fund,” according to the proposal.
Those improvements include:
- Replacing the existing field, outfield wall, scoreboards and lighting;
- Replacing the first base side bleachers with “a family viewing area and playground” that will be accessible on non-event dates;
- Replacing the third base side bleachers “with social gathering spaces.”
- Renovate the concession stands, clubhouses, staff offices and other spaces
“The search for a new stadium operator was a highly competitive process, and I am proud that together with the county, we have secured the best possible partner for our community,” said Zebulon Mayor Glenn York in a news release.
In addition to the Bulls and the Salamanders, Capitol Broadcasting owns the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer league with more than a dozen teams across the Southeast.
The company brought significant developments to downtown Durham after it bought the Durham Bulls, most notably the American Tobacco Campus.
And, earlier this year, the Holly Springs Town Council blessed Capitol Broadcasting’s plans for a 237-unit mixed-use community next to Ting Park, the 1,800-seat stadium where the Salamanders play. Overlook on Main will include apartments across two buildings and 15,000 square feet of retail space.
This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
