NC State seeking naming rights deal for Carter-Finley Stadium. Here’s an update
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC State continues naming rights search for Carter-Finley with no 2025 change expected.
- University partners with ISE to explore corporate sponsorship opportunities in Raleigh.
- Carter and Finley families granted approval for renaming as talks with brands proceed.
Carter-Finley Stadium is still expected to have a new name, or at least a sponsorship attached, but changes are unlikely to take place this season.
N.C. State announced in November it sought a naming rights opportunity for the stadium. Athletic Director Boo Corrigan said on Friday, the efforts are still underway but fans should not expect to see changes in the immediate future.
“There’s a lot of interest in it,” Corrigan said during his annual press conference last week. “I was really, really hopeful that we would be able to have something this year. At this point, what are we three weeks away? I don’t think that’s going to happen at this point, but there has been a great deal of interest in it.”
Corrigan said university leaders meet regularly with Independent Sports and Entertainment, the firm assisting N.C. State through the process. The university is reaching out to its partners and other contacts, while also remaining open to new opportunities.
“The good thing for us is that Raleigh is such a vibrant community from a corporate standpoint, and people are moving in,” Corrigan said. “Selfishly, [I] believe that a lot of these companies are coming here because of our graduates, and they want N.C. State people working there. I think there’s going to be a great opportunity out there for us. We just haven’t found it yet.”
The school received approval from the Carter and Finley families prior to beginning the process and committed to remaining in touch with the families as it evaluated various potential naming partners. ISE assisted on eight different projects in the past two years to help universities secure more than $180 million, the university said when it announced the project.
This would be the first time N.C. State’s football stadium was named something other than “Carter Stadium” or “Carter-Finley Stadium” in honor of two major Wolfpack donors.
Corrigan addressed the financial challenges the university faces from an academic standpoint. He said athletics wants to “be a good campus partner” and generate as much of its own revenue as possible. Additionally, the program also knew it had to be proactive as it sought additional funding opportunities due to the House v. NCAA settlement.
The program has worked not only to secure a partner for stadium naming rights but has worked in various areas to secure additional contributions. Corrigan said the Wolfpack Club has secured donations, altered the season ticketing policies and sought opportunities to host events at the football stadium. It kept some of the burden off fans and the university at large.
N.C. State also approved naming rights for Corrigan’s position, officially the McMurray Family Director of Athletics, earlier this year. Brian and Konni McMurray provided $5 million to create an endowment for ongoing athletics funding and aid the director.
The NCAA approved last year new rules that allow teams to feature commercial sponsors on football fields for regular season competition, in addition to sponsorships that appear on and around the stadiums.
South Carolina announced last week its 5-year partnership with Blanchard Machinery, located in Columbia, South Carolina. The deal includes graphics at the 25-year lines, stadium enhancements and additional premium seating.
N.C. State has not announced any sort of on-field advertising deal, but it is permissible if the university opts to seek sponsorship opportunities. Additionally, the field remains named the “Wayne Day Family Field” in honor of a $5 million donation, then-the top donation in program history.
This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 4:48 PM.
