The NCAA yesterday announced the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., as the location for the '17 D-I Women’s Lacrosse finals weekend, marking the "first time that Cary hosts this championship," according to Jason deBruyn of the TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL. The stadium has hosted the Women’s College Cup (soccer) seven times, and the Men’s College Cup four times. This year, the venue will host the USA Rugby College 7s National Championships. The vneue was an "NCAA darling for years," but it "fell out of favor when the town did not make upgrades." When the NCAA did "not award the town with championships, Cary upgraded the park, and the NCAA has brought events back." Campbell Univ., the town of Cary and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance "will serve as co-hosts" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/16). In Baltimore, Katherine Dunn reported the Women's Lacrosse Final Four will "return to Long Island" in '18, and will be played at Stony Brook's Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Stony Brook hosted the Final Four in '11 and '12. The Memorial Day event has "never been held south of Annapolis," where Navy hosted in '05. The Stony Brook final fours "drew two of the six largest crowds ever to attend" the event. The Final Four this year "will return to Talen Energy Stadium" just outside of Philadelphia (BALTIMORESUN.com, 2/16).
