WakeMed Soccer Park

SAS Soccer Park is one of the premier soccer complexes in the United States. Originally opened in 2002 as the home of the Carolina Courage of the WUSA, SAS Soccer Park is now the home to the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division and the Cary RailHawks U23′s in the USL Premier Development League (formerly the Raleigh Elite).

The North Carolina State Wolfpack men’s and women’s teams of the ACC play select matches there and the complex regularly hosts major tournaments such as the NCAA College Cup, the ACC Soccer Championships, and the North Carolina High School Finals.

The soccer complex consists of a purpose-built, soccer-specific main stadium (SAS Stadium), two lighted practice fields, built to the same specifications as the stadium field, and four additional fields. The main stadium seats 7,000 and is expandable to 10,000 with temporary seating. Fields 1 (main stadium), 2, and 3 are all FIFA international regulation size (120 yards x 75 yards). A project is currently under consideration to add approximately 1,000 permanent seats to Field 2 making a second, smaller stadium field at SAS Soccer Park.

SAS Soccer Park opened in May 2002 as State Capital Soccer Park. The park is on 150 acres that the State of North Carolina has leased to Wake County. Money to build the soccer park came from $14.5 million in countywide hotel room and prepared food and beverage taxes. The Town of Cary assumed responsibility for operations and maintenance in 2004 from Capital Area Soccer League. On January 26, 2006, the Town of Cary council amended its lease to allow it to sublet the property to Triangle Professional Soccer through the year 2011 for the exclusive promotion of professional soccer and lacrosse events at the complex.

The complex also sports a full-length, nationally-recognized cross-country track and houses the offices of Triangle Professional Soccer.

SAS Institute, a privately held software company, has its worldwide headquarters in Cary. SAS has naming rights to the soccer park through June 30, 2007 with the option to extend their naming rights for an additional 3 years.

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