CARY, N.C. — Wake County should feel a kick of economic boost over the next few days from the College Cup and Showcase Series.

What You Need To Know

  • The College Cup and Showcase Series are massive revenue generators for Wake County

  • The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance projects $700,000 in economic revenue to Cary

  • Showcase Series will add $31 million to Wake County over four consecutive weekends

An influx of visitors is bringing money to the Triangle and supporting businesses and jobs.

The College Cup is the final weekend of Division I women’s collegiate soccer. Wake Forest beat Stanford 1-0 in the first matchup. UNC shut out Duke 3-0 in the nightcap. The Tar Heels and Demon Deacons will play for the NCAA championship at 7 p.m. Monday at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau said soccer has helped generate millions of dollars in benefits to the tourism and hospitality industries year after year.

Scott Dupree, the executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, the athletic wing of the GRCVB, talked at length about why these games mean so much.

“Which is essentially the ‘Final Four’ of women's college soccer in Cary this weekend,” Dupree said. “What's more important as it relates to the College Cup is it's about the branding and the positioning of Cary as what it has become as a collegiate soccer capital of the United States.”

He said the College Cup alone is financially injecting $700,000 in visitor spending to Cary and the surrounding area.

Spirits were high as three teams from the state competed in the last weekend of the women’s Division I season. 

Erin Regan was dressed head to toe as a Demon Deacon to root on her alma mater.

“I just gussied it up and blinged it out a bit,” said Regan, the goalkeeper from 1998 to 2002 at Wake Forest. “I love coming back to North Carolina. I’m a California kid. So any excuse I get to come back it’s awesome.”

That’s only part of the fun this weekend.

The Showcase Series on the other side of the county offers high school girls a chance to earn the attention of college scouts. The allure of having part of college paid for is something moms Christina Miller and Cara Varela traveled from Virginia Beach to see their daughters play 

“Based on where their games are, we try to find a lot of things to go do, whether it’s restaurants or parks or something fun,” Miller said.

With this being their final year to make the trip, they will also be watching the Women’s College Cup.

“It’s great to be around other players who have similar talents and ambitions too,” Varela said.

Dupree said the Showcase Series should contribute $31 million to the local economy spread over four consecutive weekends.