College: Entire NCAA Division I men's and women's tournaments will be held in North Carolina

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Mar 25, 2021

The NCAA's Division I Competition Oversight Committee has approved a plan to hold the entire NCAA Division I men's and women's tournaments in North Carolina..

The respective College Cups were both slated to be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Now, both tournaments will be held at sites in North Carolina and conclude with the semifinals and finals in Cary. The two finals will be held the same day.

Holding the tournament at a central location, similar to what the NCAA is doing with the men's and women's basketball tournaments, cut down the length of the tournament by almost a week. It will also allow the NCAA to better manage COVID-19 testing and protocols and coordinate with local health guidelines.

The maximum allowable capacity at the matches will be 25 percent, and priority will be for family and friends to attend.

The NCAA is not holding championships for Division II and Division III in the spring.

Fields:
Men: 36 teams (usually 48).
Women: 48 teams (usually 64).

Dates:
First round: Women, April 27-28; Men, April 29.
Second round: Women, April 30-May 1; Men, May 2.
Third round: Women, May 5; Men, May 6.
Quarterfinals: Women, May 9; Men, May 10.
Semifinals: Women, May 13; Men, May 14.
Finals: Women, May 17; Men, May 17.

College Venues:
Eakes Athletic Complex, Campbell (Buies Creek)
ECU Soccer Stadium, East Carolina (Greenville)
UNCG Soccer Stadium, UNC Greensboro (Greensboro)
UNCW Soccer Stadium, UNC Wilmington (Wilmington)
Spry Stadium, Wake Forest (Winston-Salem)

Other Venues:
Bryan Park (Greensboro)
J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex (Wilson)
Sportsplex (Matthews)
WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary)