Scott Dupree, Executive Director, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA)

In an interview with Invest:, Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA), discussed Raleigh and Wake County’s momentum as a sports destination, the impact of the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run, and the facilities needed to sustain growth. “Everyone here knows this is a tremendous major league sports market,” Dupree said.

What changes over the past year have most influenced Greater Raleigh’s position as a sports destination?

The biggest change in the recent past has been the Carolina Hurricanes not just winning the Stanley Cup Final, but the entire two-month window of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It included sellouts, incredible television ratings, and dozens of watch parties around the market. When the Hurricanes were on the road, they were still selling out the Lenovo Center for watch parties.

We announced the economic impact of the Stanley Cup Final at $13.4 million. That is for the Final only, not the entire playoff run, and that’s a big number for this market. To put that in perspective, major sporting events consistently generate significant economic activity for our region. The 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds generated $16.4 million, The Soccer Tournament (TST) generated $14.7 million, and the 2023 NHL Stadium Series weekend generated $20.1 million. Those events illustrate the value sports tourism brings to Wake County year after year.

Locally, everyone here knows this is a tremendous major league sports market. Raleigh is unbelievably supportive of the Hurricanes, with sellouts every night over the last few years and an enormous, passionate fan base.

Raleigh had already earned its national reputation as a premier sports destination because of collegiate sports, especially the NCAA, amateur sports, youth sports, and the work we have done hosting the NHL’s biggest events over the years. The 2026 Stanley Cup enhanced that reputation even further and brought an even brighter spotlight to the Triangle as a major league sports destination.

What did the Stanley Cup Final and parade reveal about the region’s ability to host events that generate economic and community impact?

We had 190,000 people downtown for the parade, and that was literally the largest event in the city of Raleigh’s history in terms of crowd size. It was an incredible sight and a wonderful day in Raleigh’s history.

There was potential for people to be impatient or frustrated because of traffic, crowds, access, and the heat, but there was none of that. People were happy, joyful, gracious, kind, and thankful to be there. What a day. I felt like it was Raleigh at its finest. 

Nothing brings people together in the Triangle like the Carolina Hurricanes. Sports fans and even casual fans across the region are on the same page for the Hurricanes, and that was a wonderful aspect of those two months.

In a market of this size, there are selected events we cannot host because of logistical reasons or facility requirements. We cannot host a Super Bowl, the Olympics, a World Cup, or a men’s basketball Final Four with our current facilities and infrastructure. However, Raleigh can absolutely host premier national and international sporting events, and the Stanley Cup Final demonstrated that capability. The same is true of the NCAA’s March Madness. Events like these create massive exposure and visibility and can open doors for future sporting events, meetings, conventions, and business opportunities.

What investments would have the biggest impact on Raleigh and Wake County’s ability to attract and retain high-profile sporting events?

We have a tremendous array of sports facilities and venues, and that’s why Greater Raleigh is genuinely considered a top sports destination in the United States. But of course, there is still room for improvement.

The number one priority is a small arena that would seat between 4,000 and 5,000 people. We often turn away events and opportunities because the Lenovo Center is too large and costly for many events that don’t need 19,000 seats, while our existing smaller venues are either heavily utilized or outdated.

The second need is a large indoor sports complex that is multipurpose and flexible. It could host basketball, volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, cheerleading, martial arts, and other indoor sports, you name it. Facilities like these are being developed around the country, and we could really use something similar to remain competitive in that space.

The third would be an indoor track facility. North Carolina has limited indoor track capacity, and there is strong demand from youth, amateur, high school, and collegiate runners. An indoor track would be a tremendous asset for this market and would be in high demand.

How resilient is the sports event industry, particularly youth sports?

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the sports event industry never really slows down. After 9/11, the travel industry nationwide shut down, and youth sports were one of the first segments to return. During the economic downturn in 2008, youth sports also remained remarkably strong. The sports travel market feels recession-proof.

Parents will make budget cuts in other areas of their lives, but they will continue to prioritize opportunities for their children. I experienced that firsthand with my own children participating in travel sports. Families consistently find ways to make those opportunities work.

Because of that commitment, the youth sports segment continues to grow. It’s an industry that is highly resilient and continues to grow rapidly.

What role does the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance play in shaping the region’s sports tourism strategy?

Our mission is to promote Raleigh and Wake County, along with our many venues and partners, for economic development. In a typical year, those efforts result in approximately 115 assisted event bookings that generate about 160,000 hotel room nights and roughly $120 million in economic impact for the region. We do that by identifying and recruiting sports events, tournaments, and championships, and bringing them to the region. We identify events that would be a good fit, build relationships with event owners, and work through bids, presentations, and negotiations to bring them here. More than anything, it’s basically recruiting.

The important point to understand is that GRSA does not own any events, and we do not own any venues. We cannot function without our partners. We work with local venues and organizations to connect them with event owners and help make events happen.

About half of our work involves identifying and recruiting new business. Those efforts range from single championship events to recurring tournaments. For example, the 2025 VisitRaleigh.com Showcase Series included four weekends of competition, attracted 1,600 teams, generated approximately 33,000 hotel room nights, and produced an estimated $29 million in economic impact. The other half involves supporting our local partners as they host those events. We serve as a liaison, helping bring all the necessary pieces together.

The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Advisory Board is also a critical component of that effort. It includes representatives from our colleges, universities, professional sports teams, venues, and facilities throughout the market. The GRSA board has helped improve communication, collaboration, and long-term planning across the region.

What are your top priorities for the organization over the next three to five years?

One major priority is the next NCAA bid cycle. Every few years, cities around the country bid to host NCAA championships, and college sports remain a foundational part of our business here in Raleigh and Cary. We are working with partners across the region to develop competitive bids for events that will take place from 2029 through 2031.

Another priority is preparing for the 2028 NCAA East Regional, which will be hosted by NC State. As everyone knows, college basketball is extremely important in this market, and this will be the first time we have hosted a regional at the Lenovo Center. Preparing for that event will require significant coordination among local partners, and we will begin at least one year out.

We are also focused on extending agreements with key existing events. A couple of good examples include the PPA National Championships for pickleball at Cary Tennis Park and Phenom Hoops events for boys basketball at the Raleigh Convention Center. These events generate substantial economic impact, and we want to retain them over the long term.

We aim to strengthen communication and relationships with the parks and recreation departments across Wake County. The communities around Wake County continue to grow, and each has its own facilities, strategic plans, and opportunities. We want to work more closely with those communities to support their facilities and attract events.

We are blessed to live and work in this market. It is a tremendous sports market with wonderful people, premier venues, and great events. If you love sports, this is an amazing place to work, maybe the best place in America. We have an unmatched board and staff, incredible partners, and a shared commitment to make this region even more successful and better than ever.