North Carolina FC
North Carolina FC is a professional soccer team from Cary, North Carolina, near Raleigh. Founded in 2006 as the Carolina RailHawks, the club changed its name to North Carolina FC in 2016 to pursue a Major League Soccer future. They play at WakeMed Soccer Park, a 10,000-seat stadium in Cary, and wear Atlantic blue, cardinal red, and Southern gold.
Owner Steve Malik has led the club since 2015, with John Bradford serving as sporting director and head coach. NCFC competes in the USL Championship. The team has moved between leagues over the years, including NASL and USL leagues, and won the 2023 USL League One title—the club’s first major trophy—before returning to the USL Championship in 2024. In 2025 they finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the conference semifinals.
Notable moments include a record home attendance of 10,125 for a friendly against West Ham United in 2016. The club also has rivalries with Charleston Battery, Charlotte Independence, and Richmond Kickers, and is supported by Oak City Supporters and Renegados Soccer Supporters. The NCFC badge reflects the North Carolina flag and the region known as the Research Triangle, with the “First in Flight” motto referenced by the FC letters.
In late 2025, NCFC announced it would not field a team in 2026 to focus on a planned return to the USL Premier League by 2028.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:08 (CET).