Durham County Memorial Stadium has nearly 70 years of history and has become one of North Carolina’s premier championship venues.
The facility, located at 750 Stadium Drive in Durham, has hosted CIAA championship games, NAIA national title contests and NCHSAA state high school finals. It has been the home of Shaw University football since 2022.
But football is only part of the story.
One of the busiest venues in the state, Durham County Memorial Stadium serves as home base for the Carolina Flyers ultimate frisbee team and Tobacco Road FC soccer, as well as hosting national-level track-and-field events.
🏟️ Durham County Memorial Stadium
- Opened: 1958
- Address: 750 Stadium Drive, Durham, NC
- Seating Capacity: 8,500
- Surface: Synthetic turf
- Track: Eight-lane track facility
- Owner: Durham County
- Managed by: Durham County Memorial Stadium Authority
Stadium History
The land that now hosts Durham County Memorial Stadium has a history stretching back nearly 80 years before the stadium was built. Durham County purchased the property in 1881 and established a county home and work farm for elderly, indigent and disabled residents, according to a 2011 article on OpenDurham.org.
The county home remained on the site for decades before portions of the property were redeveloped in the late 1950s and early 1960s to create Durham County Memorial Stadium. The remaining county home buildings were eventually replaced by what became Durham Regional Hospital in the early 1970s.
The stadium’s primary use at first was as a football home for local high school teams. Northern Durham continued to use the stadium before the school moved to a new campus with its own stadium in 2023.
Durham County Memorial served as Shaw University’s home field from 2007-18 before the Bears returned in 2022.
The CIAA brought its football championship back to Durham in 2025 after several years of playing in Salem, Va. Johnson C. Smith won its first CIAA football title in more than 50 years in November 2025. Durham is slated to host the 2026 and 2027 CIAA championships as well.
The Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, which lasted one year in the World League of American Football in 1992, also used Durham County Memorial Stadium as a practice facility.
Durham County officials considered tearing the stadium down in 2003. They opted not to, and the stadium received upgrades in 2010 with the installation of artificial turf. Additional renovations completed in 2019 modernized the venue, including a Daktronics video board, upgraded sound system and improvements designed to enhance the fan experience.
More Than Football
Other notable events served by Durham County Memorial Stadium in recent years:
- USATF Youth National Championships (2019)
- NAIA Football National Championship Games (2021-24)
- CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (2023)
- NCHSAA Lacrosse Championships (2025)
- NCHSAA 3A and 5A Football Championships (2025)
- South Atlantic Conference Flag Football Championships (2026)
Current Tenants (2026)
- Shaw University football and soccer
- Tobacco Road FC, a semi-professional soccer club that competes in USL League Two
- Carolina Flyers, a professional ultimate frisbee team competing in the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA)
Why It’s Unique
Few stadiums in North Carolina can match Durham County Memorial Stadium’s championship résumé. In the past decade alone, the venue has hosted national champions, conference champions, state champions and future collegiate athletes from across the country, making it one of the state’s most important gathering places for amateur sports.
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🏟️ Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium: Fayetteville State’s home honors former football captain, legislator and civic leader
🏟️ O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium: Two stories, one home for NCCU football
🏟️ Helen and Leonard Moretz Stadium: History and modern flair blend at Lenoir-Rhyne
🏟️ Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium: Where the ECU Pirates raise the flag
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