TRIAD TO HOST WORLD CUP TEAMS
Upgrade to UNC Greensboro field sparked widespread interest
Brian Mackin (from left), director of athletics at UNC Greensboro; Richard Beard, president and CEO of Greensboro Sports Foundation; John Currie, vice president and director of athletics at Wake Forest University; and Mark Owens, president and CEO of Greater Winston-Salem, participate in a panel discussion moderated by Mike Fox, president and CEO of Piedmont Triad Partnership, on April 7 at High Point University's Qubein Arena and Conference Center. The panelists discussed the economic opportunity and impact of the Triad hosting the German and Norwegian men's national soccer teams for this summer's World Cup.
Owens (left) and Currie laugh while listening to High Point University President Nido Qubein speak before the panel discussion.
Attendees of the panel discussion watch a recorded video of German National Men's Soccer Team Head Coach Julian Nagelsmann speaking.
A 2024 decision to plant new, better grass at UNC Greensboro's soccer stadium served as a catalyst for the Triad to host training camps for two European World Cup teams.
UNCG athletic director Brian Mackin recently said that the grass was a symbolic investment and decision that caught the eye of FIFA, the world's soccer governing organization.
Macklin made his remarks during a World Cup presentation at High Point University on April 7.
FIFA officials inquired about whether UNCG would be willing to host Brazil's SE Palmeiras for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
"We had done nothing on that level at UNCG," Mackin said. "We put together a competing bid to give FIFA and scrambled to put together partnerships. That allowed us to have a trial run at this whole process. The expectations were very high on us, security and safety of their teams."
He added, "Our partnerships did a great job in proving that Greensboro could pull this off, and we were put on board for potentially hosting a World Cup team." That led Norway to choose Greensboro as its host city for the upcoming World Cup.
UNCG's success with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup also opened the door for Wake Forest University.
Mark Owens, president and chief executive of Greater Winston-Salem, said Wake Forest, Winston-Salem and Graylyn Estate were not initially on the radar of the German national team.
The blossoming soccer culture in the Triad and the state led German team officials to take a look.
Wake Forest received an assist from a German site-selection official who played college soccer at Temple, including a match against the Demon Deacons at Spry Stadium.
"There was eyes on our regions already," Owens said. "I remember getting the call from the Graylyn team that there's a soccer team here. Can we look into this together?"
Owens said the next two months will be dedicated to installing the specific type of grass at Spry that the German team requires for training.
"This is a big investment, as Secretary Lilley said," Owens said. "FIFA helps pay for some of that, but not all of it. These countries also put in significant dollars to invest in their experiences because this is their biggest sporting event in their country this year. This is really a once-ina-lifetime experience."
Making sacrifices at Wake Forest
Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie said the university has embraced hosting the German national team, even amid some disruptions.
For example, he said Wake Forest men's and women's soccer teams are "basically giving up their facility when they would otherwise have 7,000 campers in the facility this summer."
"So there's a lot of service and selflessness that all the people have been making this hosting opportunity available," Currie said.
Brian Mackin, UNCG's athletics director, said what stands out to him so far is the enthusiasm of the Norwegian national team and its entourage.
"This is Norway's first time in the World Cup since 1998. So, it's a big, big deal for Norway," Mackin said. "They are learning about what they need just as we're learning. Whereas Germany does this every four years, and they are schooled in their preparations."
Hospitality components in Greensboro, Winston-Salem
Richard Beard, president and chief executive of Greensboro Sports Foundation, said the role played by Grandover Resort and Graylyn should not be overlooked.
"These World Cup teams require player recovery time between matches, and having these settings available to the players is very important," Beard said.
During January's announcement that Graylyn would serve as the base camp for the German National Team, head coach Julian Nagelsmann described the facility as providing "exactly the same conditions" as the team's home base in Herzogenaurach.
Nagelsmann added, "The most important factor is the proximity to the training pitches. We already find many things available on site and don't have to bring everything from Germany. That makes logistics much easier. We have outstanding conditions here, both on the pitch and beyond."
Beard said that depending on how successful the training camps perform, there is a good likelihood that the Triad could serve as hosts again for the women's World Cup in 2031.
Currently, a joint 2031 hosting bid from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica is the only one submitted to FIFA with a decision expected during April.
Global recognition
Lee Lilley, the state's Commerce Secretary, said having the Triad region serve as training camps for two World Cup teams helps the region achieve global sports recognition outside the shadow of Charlotte and the Research Triangle.
"It takes a tremendous amount of partnership to make sure that everything is at it needs to be for these incredibly high-demanding, world-class athletes to be both comfortable and be ready to train on the biggest stage in the entire world," Lilley said.
Lilley said Germany's decision to choose a training camp site in the Triad is an extension of an economic partnership between North Carolina and Germany. He said Germany is North Carolina's second-largest global economic trading partner, trailing only Japan.
The advantages of having the German and Norwegian men's national teams training in the Triad goes beyond their traveling parties. The two teams will also bring hundreds of sports journalists to the region.
Lilley said that "at the end of the day, moments like the World Cup are more than just events.
"They are catalysts, help strengthen infrastructure, expand our hospitality ecosystem, elevate our region's profile and create connections that lead to long-term economic success," he said. "That's really what this is all about."
rcraver@wsjournal.com 336-727-7376 @rcraverWSJ
