The Sportsplex at Matthews is a large sports complex and park in
Matthews, North Carolina
Matthews is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census.
History
In the early 19th century, the new settlement that would become Ma ...
, southeast of
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, featuring 12 full-sized soccer fields anchored by a 2,300-seat stadium. The stadium currently seats 5,000 as it has been expanded using modular seating.
In 2018 bleacher seating was placed around Field 10 creating a smaller auxiliary stadium used by the
Charlotte Independence
Charlotte Independence is an American soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina that plays in the USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The Independence currently play their home games at American Legion Memorial ...
as a training field and occasionally by the
Charlotte Eagles
The Charlotte Eagles are an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at ...
and
Lady Eagles for matches.
History
The idea of a sports complex along the
outer-belt in Matthews was first proposed in the early 21st century with the official
groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are o ...
taking place on May 17, 2012 following years of delays due to the global
2007–2012 global financial crisis
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...
. Originally called the Matthews Sportsplex the name was changed during construction. Following a soft opening in 2015, the complex was completed in early 2017.
In August 2019 the stadium hosted the Charlotte Football Kickoff, a
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
double-header that had previously been played at
American Legion Memorial Stadium
American Legion Memorial Stadium is a 10,500-seat stadium located on 7th Street in the Elizabeth community of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is located on a complex with the Grady Cole Center. Both are located next to Central Piedmont Community Col ...
in Charlotte.
The Sportsplex was one of the hosts for the
2020 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament and the
2020 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament.
The Sportsplex will host the 2025
Men's &
Women's
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
NCAA Division II
NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
soccer championships with
Wingate University
Wingate University is a private Baptist university with campuses in Wingate, Charlotte, and Hendersonville, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (Southern Baptist Convention).
The university enroll ...
acting as the host school.
References
{{Premier Development League stadiums
Charlotte Eagles
American football venues in North Carolina
Sports venues in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Lacrosse venues in North Carolina
Soccer venues in North Carolina
USL Championship stadiums
2015 establishments in North Carolina
Sports venues completed in 2015
Charlotte Independence
Sports complexes in the United States
Former National Independent Soccer Association stadiums