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 most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, 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 ...

taking place on May 17, 2012 following years of delays due to the global 2007–2012 global financial crisis. 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 C ...

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

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 enr ...

acting as the host school. Sportsplex Field 10

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