Could NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium get a new name? All options are on the table
Carter-Finley Stadium may get a new name, the N.C. State athletic department officials said Monday.
The university announced a partnership with Independent Sports and Entertainment to seek a possible naming rights partner. Athletic Director Boo Corrigan said in a statement the program has discussed this with the Carter and Finley families.
“With the blessing of the Carter and Finley families, we are able to pursue this opportunity to enhance our program in the new landscape of college athletics,” Corrigan said in a statement. “We are grateful for their support through the years and for their understanding of our need to explore new revenue sources to invest in the development and success of our student-athletes.”
Corrigan said the university will remain in contact with both families as it works with ISE to identify a potential partner. ISE specializes in venue naming rights and “revenue generation opportunities” in collegiate athletics. The organization assisted on eight different projects in the past two years to help universities secure more than $180 million.
This decision does not mean there is a deal, but the university is seeking options.
Wolfpack head football coach Dave Doeren said Monday he supports Corrigan’s efforts. He respects Corrigan’s decision to get permission from both families, appreciates both families for allowing the university to pursue this and understands the need to explore naming rights opportunities.
“Athletic directors and athletic departments need to raise money, with the new legislation and the amount of dollars that revenue sharing is put on their plates,” Doeren said. “I think it’s good business by him. I think that’s what he should be doing, finding creative ways to move the ledger.
“Those are the things ADs have to do now. You have to find ways to increase your your cash in, so that you have the ability to compete in this space. The courts say that you gotta come up with X amount of dollars. They don’t give you the dollars. You gotta go find them. ... I’m completely in line with Boo. Whatever he needs to do to make these things a reality, to keep our programs all competitive, I know he’s going to compete to do that.”
History of Carter-Finley Stadium
N.C. State broke ground on the stadium in 1964. After opening in 1966, Carter-Finley went through expansion and/or renovation in 1992, 2003-06, and 2021.
The stadium was first named Carter Stadium, honoring Harry and Wilbert J. “Nick” Carter. The two graduated from N.C. State and provided significant financial contributions to the original stadium project. Albert E. Finley was another major university donor who provided funds for a field house and two team locker rooms. Finley was added to the name in 1979, and the stadium has been named Carter-Finley Stadium ever since.
The field will remain Wayne Day Family Field in honor of a $5 million donation. The 2002 donation, at the time, was the largest donation to the athletic department in program history.
N.C. State announced this summer new football season ticketing policies to help create additional revenue for the athletic department. The new policy includes donations to the Wolfpack Club for season tickets and parking passes, which follows what many programs on the Power Four level already do.
Funding will be allocated annually depending on the athletic department’s needs at the time. They will cover student-athlete support, facilities improvements and game-day amenities.
“As we’re looking at Pack Forward, how do we get to the next level? To be frank, there’s a lot of donor fatigue, because you feel like there’s always something else and something else,” Corrigan said in a video about the new policies. “We’re excited about Pack Forward and figuring out, how do we move this entire enterprise that’s called college athletics?
“We need to be creative and we need our fans to participate in what’s going on. It’s really important. You’ve been a part of all of this for so long. We came here to be great, and we’ve had success, and we’re going to continue to lean in.”
Naming rights came up earlier this year when PNC Arena, next door to Carter-Finley and home of the N.C. State men’s basketball team, became Lenovo Center after the naming rights deal with PNC Bank expired.
The stadium announcement also comes in the wake of an NCAA settlement that approves revenue sharing.
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 1:21 PM.
