Editing Research Triangle (section)

== Sports ==

=== College sports ===
With the significant number of universities and colleges in the area and the relative absence of major league professional sports, [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] sports are very popular, particularly those sports in which the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] participates, most notably basketball.

The [[Duke Blue Devils]] (representing [[Duke University]] in Durham), [[NC State Wolfpack]] (representing [[North Carolina State University]] in Raleigh), and [[North Carolina Tar Heels]] (representing the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]) are all members of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]]. Rivalries among these schools are very strong, fueled by proximity to each other, with annual competitions in every sport. Adding to the rivalries is the large number of graduates the high schools in the region send to each of the local universities. It is very common for students at one university to know many students attending the other local universities, which increases the opportunities for "bragging" among the schools. The four ACC schools in the state, Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and [[Wake Forest University]] (the last of which was originally located in the town of Wake Forest before moving to Winston-Salem in 1956), are referred to as [[Tobacco Road (rivalry)|Tobacco Road]] by sportscasters, particularly in basketball. All four teams consistently produce high-caliber teams {{Opinion|date=May 2022}}. Each of the Triangle-based universities listed has won at least two NCAA Basketball national championships.

Three [[historically black colleges and universities|historically black colleges]], including recent Division I arrival [[North Carolina Central University]] and Division II members [[St. Augustine's College (North Carolina)|St. Augustine College]] and [[Shaw University]] also boost the popularity of college sports in the region.

Other colleges in the Triangle that field intercollegiate teams include [[Campbell University]], [[Meredith College]], and [[William Peace University]].

The Triangle will host the [[FISU World University Games|World University Summer Games]] in 2029.

=== Professional sports ===
[[File:RBC Center Stanley Cup Championship.jpg|thumb|[[2006 Stanley Cup Finals]] ceremony at the RBC Center (now [[Lenovo Center]])]]
The region has only one professional team of the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|four major sports]], the [[Carolina Hurricanes]] of the [[National Hockey League]], based in Raleigh. Since moving to the Research Triangle region from [[Hartford, Connecticut]], they have enjoyed great success, including winning a [[Stanley Cup]]. The [[North Carolina Courage]] began play in the [[National Women's Soccer League]] in 2017 after the owner of North Carolina FC bought the NWSL franchise rights of the [[Western New York Flash]] and relocated the NWSL franchise to the Triangle. The team has achieved broad success in the league, winning 2 NWSL championships and 3 NWSL Shields in the first five years in the Triangle. With limited top-level professional sports option, minor league sports are quite popular in the region. The [[Durham Bulls]] in downtown Durham are a AAA Minor League baseball affiliate of the [[Tampa Bay Rays]], and the [[Carolina Mudcats]], based in Zebulon, are the Advanced-A affiliate of the [[Milwaukee Brewers]]. In Cary, [[North Carolina FC]] plays in the second-tier [[USL Championship]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team !! League !! Sport !! Venue (capacity)
|-
| [[Carolina Hurricanes]] ||  align=center | [[National Hockey League|NHL]] || Hockey || [[Lenovo Center]] (18,680)
|-
| [[Durham Bulls]] || align=center | [[International League|IL]] ([[Triple-A (baseball)|AAA]]) || Baseball || [[Durham Bulls Athletic Park|DBAP]] (10,000)
|-
| [[Carolina Mudcats]] ||  align=center | [[Carolina League|CL]] (A) || Baseball || [[Five County Stadium]] (6,500)
|-
| [[North Carolina Courage]] ||  align=center | [[National Women's Soccer League|NWSL]] ([[United States soccer league system#Women|D1]]) || Soccer || [[WakeMed Soccer Park]] (10,000)
|-
| [[North Carolina FC]] ||  align=center | [[USL Championship|USLC]] ([[United States soccer league system|D2]]) || Soccer || [[WakeMed Soccer Park]] (10,000)
|-
| [[Carolina Flyers]] || align=center | [[American Ultimate Disc League|AUDL]] || Ultimate || [[WakeMed Soccer Park]] (10,000) / [[Cardinal Gibbons High School (Raleigh, North Carolina)|Cardinal Gibbons High School]]
|}

The area also had a team in the fledgling [[World League of American Football]] – however, the [[Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks]], coached by [[Roman Gabriel]], did not exactly cover themselves in glory; they lost all 10 games of their inaugural (and only) season in 1991. The team folded after that, being replaced in the league by the [[Ohio Glory]], which fared little better at 1–9, ultimately suffering the same fate – along with the other six teams based in North America – when the league took a two-year hiatus, returning as a six-team all-European league in 1995. The [[Orange County Speedway]] in [[Rougemont, North Carolina|Rougemont]] hosts [[stock car racing]] events including the [[Pro All Stars Series]], the [[CARS Tour|CARS Super Late Model Tour]] and the CARS Late Model Stock Tour.