NC State is turning Carter-Finley Stadium into more than a football venue this week, and the payoff could be significant for an athletic department looking for fresh revenue.
The stadium will host two major concerts in four days: Guns N’ Roses on Thursday, July 23, with Public Enemy as special guests, and a sold-out Noah Kahan show on Saturday, July 25, featuring Gigi Perez and Annabelle Dinda.
For NC State Athletics Director Boo Corrigan, that kind of event is exactly the point. He described the concerts as “money makers” for the department.
“I think it’s a great thing we can do for Raleigh to be able to do that,” he told WRAL. “The students that are here, it’s part of the overall college experience, if we can provide that as well.”
The school has already seen what a big concert can do for the bottom line. Last year’s sold-out Chris Brown show at Carter-Finley brought in about $500,000 for the athletic department, and university officials are hoping these upcoming dates can match or exceed that return.
Corrigan said NC State wants to keep exploring opportunities at the stadium, which seats 56,919 for football. “We’re open for business,” he said.
The timing matters, too. NC State’s athletic department projected a deficit of more than $18 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
That was the first year of direct revenue sharing with athletes. Under the current system, schools can share up to $20.5 million with athletes in 2025-26, rising to $21.3 million the following year.
Carter-Finley is no stranger to big names. Beyoncé played there in 2016, The Rolling Stones came through in 2015, and U2 performed in 2009.
With this week’s shows, officials are also trying to avoid the kind of headaches that came with the Chris Brown concert. They’re working with local police on traffic and parking management, and the university has already urged fans to buy parking in advance to save money and secure a spot.
Concerts are only one part of NC State’s broader search for new revenue. The athletic department is looking at naming rights for Carter-Finley, patches on uniforms, and other sponsorship opportunities. The university also gets money from sports betting taxes and donor support, but Corrigan said the financial landscape has changed as athletes are now being paid and donors are being asked to stretch further.
He pointed to UNC’s Savannah Bananas event at Kenan Stadium earlier this year as another example of schools finding creative ways to bring in cash. Corrigan also said he’s interested in the idea of a multi-day summer concert festival at Carter-Finley connected to other local venues.
For now, though, the stadium gives Raleigh something few places can offer: a massive outdoor concert site with room for crowds far bigger than Walnut Creek, which holds about 20,000 including the lawn. Carter-Finley can handle around 50,000-plus for concerts, and NC State plans to use that advantage.
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