CARY, N.C. (May 29, 2025) — There’s something different about First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park this season. And it’s not just the new name.

The North Carolina Courage are seeing unprecedented attendance numbers in 2025, with the Spring’s attendance figures putting the club on pace to smash previous years' totals. In fact, four of the first five home matches this season ranked top 10 in the club’s history.

“We’ve seen steady growth in recent years, and celebrating such a successful Spring is a testament to the hard work put in on and off the field. We’re building something sustainable and special, where large crowds are becoming the expectation, not the exception. The atmosphere our fans are creating is world class, and we’re only getting started,” said Courage President Francie Gottsegen.

The momentum has continued to grow as the season progresses, too. The two May matches (17,961) brought the second-highest total attendance in a single month in club history. Only September 2022 (19,726) ranked higher; however, that month had four home matches.

The 7,879 average attendance this Spring is the highest in club history and sits 2,600 higher than the previous seasons.

The eye-popping numbers build off the end of the 2024 season. The Courage ended last year with three-straight crowds over 7,000 – a stretch that is now eight matches long to include every home Spring match of 2025. That growth was driven by a shift in mindset behind the front office’s approach.

“If we want people in the stadium, we have to go get them. They’re not going to come to us organically. We have to meet our fans where they are,” North Carolina Football Club Chief Operating Officer Ralph Vuono said.

That means something different for everyone. For the young adults, it’s front office members buying rounds at bar trivia nights. For NCFC Youth families, it’s a holistic partnership between the professional club and youth, not something purely transactional.

Once fans are at the stadium, Vuono—who has run the club’s business operations since late 2023—says it’s about creating an atmosphere that thoughtfully caters to various fan segments and ensuring they want to come back.

“We still have a long way to go, but we feel strongly that we now have a playbook that works to deliver what our fans in several customer segments are looking for. It’s about creating unique experiences for them at the game and meeting them where they are on their soccer journey. There’s something for everyone. That’s not by accident,” Vuono said.

The sellout crowd against the Orlando Pride highlights the Spring’s boom. It’s just the fourth sellout in club history and by far the earliest in the season the Courage have accomplished the feat, with the previous three happening in October and November.

“It’s validation for us as a front office and community that we’re not afraid to raise the standard and put that stake in the ground. We were promoting the Orlando game as a sellout two weeks before it did. We put the stake in the ground and took the risk. The first day we talked about it on our social media channels, we sold over 200 tickets,” Vuono said.

Those packed houses have not gone unnoticed by coaches and players. Speaking with CBS17’s Jordan Crammer for his weekly segment on Extra Time with the Courage, Head Coach Sean Nahas said it was a credit to the work everyone has put in.

“It’s the work that goes into it that people don’t see that really allows for these things to happen. Everyone from the club, top to bottom, should be proud of it,” Nahas said.

Captain Denise O’Sullivan, who has been with the club since 2017, echoed those sentiments during the post-match press conference following the sellout.

“Every game has been fantastic this year. There’s been a massive difference, and it's a credit to the club and to everyone behind the scenes. They’ve really pushed it, and they’ve got people in the seats. Every time we play here, it’s incredible, and having that packed stadium tonight really pushed us on and gave us the energy to keep going,” O’Sullivan said.

For Vuono, alignment with the technical staff and players has been instrumental.

“We’ve leaned on them a lot. The players specifically, have been great about going out into the market to promote the club, even if it is as simple as calling season ticket members and thanking them for their support,” Vuono said.

Attendance isn’t the only figure booming for the Courage in 2025. The team’s social media channels have nearly 1 million more impressions than this time last year.

Few teams in the NWSL can match the Courage’s current growth, with Washington and Orlando being the only other two teams in the NWSL to be outdrawing their 2024 average attendance so far this year.

The momentum the Courage have built has the club on pace to break 100,000 total attendance for the first time in its history. But the club knows there is still work to be done.

“We need to keep our foot on the gas. We need to continue to iterate the data and have conviction behind our decisions to keep raising the standard. Momentum doesn't happen organically. If you want momentum for a year, you’ve got to earn it every day. We have the playbook. Now, we have to continue to scrutinize and improve it,” Vuono said.

For the Club, bringing the fans into the process is key to the continued success and taking the Courage to its true potential.

“We are sitting on the golden ticket. You have the top DMA markets in the country bidding on NWSL teams, paying over $100 million in expansion fees just to get in the door. We already have a club right here in our community. We have one of the most successful and storied franchises in women’s soccer. With the support of our community, we know this club can be among the most innovative and successful in the world,” Gottsegen said.

The momentum is real in Courage Country. The standard is being raised each and every home match at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. Now’s the time to be a part of something special.

Now’s the time to be The Place to BE.