The Greater Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce serves central Johnston County, North Carolina, a part of the dynamic Research Triangle Region.

The Chamber Membership Relocation & Community Economic Development Visitors

RELOCATION & COMMUNITY

There's lots to cheer about!

Whether its the crack of the bat or the chill of the ice, college sports or professional, there's lots of sports action in the Smithfield-Selma area and the nearby Triangle.

The Sporting News consistently ranks the Triangle area as one of the nation’s hottest sports markets. That’s due in large part to the rich Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball and football heritage, and the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes. There's also stock car racing throughout the state and the National Football League's Carolina Panthers down the road in Charlotte.

College basketball here isn’t just a game. It’s a way of life. With perennial powerhouses like the North Carolina State Wolfpack, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Duke Blue Devils calling the Triangle home, college basketball isn’t only bigger, but better than anywhere else in the country. This is where legends like Michael Jordan, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith, and the late Jimmy V were born, and area teams have won eight NCAA Men’s Division I National Basketball Championships.

ACC football also offers action-packed fall Saturdays as the Wolfpack, Tar Heels and Blue Devils take on some of the most prominent football programs in the country right here in our own backyard.

Regionally, a number of college's programs are nearby, including the East Carolina Pirates, Wake Forest Deamon Deacons and UNC-Wilmington Seahawks.

Over the decade hockey has also taken the Triangle by storm in the form of a Hurricane – the Carolina Hurricanes to be exact. The NHL Eastern Conference Hurricanes whave had tremendous success on the ice since their arrival in Raleigh, including a magical run for the Stanley Cup in 2005. The Canes play their home games in Raleigh's RBC Center as does the N.C. State basketball team.

But amazing performances on the gridiron, hardwood, and ice rinks aren’t the only game in town. Stock car racing is a religion in North Carolina. NASCAR races are held in Rockingham and Charlotte.

If you love the nation's pasttime, there are two minor league baseball teams in the Triangle. The Carolina Mudcats play in Five County Stadium, just over the Johnston County line in Zebulon. And the Durham Bulls, the team that made the movie Bull Durham famous, play in Durham Bulls Athletic Park on the western end of the Triangle.

For golfers, the nearby Triad area hosts the PGA tour's Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic every year in October. The golfing village of Pinehurst, with some of the world's best courses, regularly hosts championship tournaments, including the upcoming U.S. Open in 2012.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have taken the Triangle area by storm!

The Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh. The team is a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Carolina Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup during the 2005–06 season, beating the Edmonton Oilers four games to three in a magical run through the playoffs.

Prior to 1997, the team was known as the Hartford Whalers. The Hurricanes play their home games at the RBC Center.

For more information:
Carolina Hurricanes
RBC Center
1400 Edwards Mill Road
Raleigh, NC, USA 27607
Phone: 919-467-7825
Tickets: 1-866-645-2263

Carolina Mudcats

The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in the eastern suburbs of Raleigh. The 'Cats play in the Southern League, the Double-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins major-league club. Owner Steve Bryant, a Smithfield native, brought the team to the area from Columbus, GA in 1991.

The Mudcats play a full schedule at Five County StadiumSmithfield native and team owner Steve Bryant owns, located on NC Hwy 39 just over the Johnston County line near Zebulon.

For more information:
Carolina Mudcats
1501 NC Hwy 39
PO Drawer 1218
Zebulon, NC 27597
Phone: 919-269-2287

Carolina Panthers

Professional football's Carolina Panthers are based in Charlotte, representing both North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League (NFL).

The team is currently a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South Division in the NFL. The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, began play as 1995 NFL expansion teams. The Panthers conduct summer training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is the alma mater of Jerry Richardson, the team's owner.

For more information:
Carolina Panthers
800 South Mint Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Switchboard: 704-358-7000
Tickets: 704-358-7800

Carolina RailHawks

Carolina RailHawks is an American professional soccer team, founded in 2006.

The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The RailHawks currently play at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary and are coached by Scott Schweitzer. The team's colors are orange, white and blue.

The RailHawks have a development team, Cary Railhawks U23's, which plays in the USL Premier Development League, and a sister organization, Carolina RailHawks Women, who play in the women's USL W-League.

For more information:
Carolina RailHawks
101 Soccer Park Drive
Cary, NC 27511
Phone: 919-859-5425

Durham Bulls

The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team based in Durham. The team, which plays in the International League, is the AAA (Triple-A) affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays major-league club. The Bulls play in Durham Bulls Athletic Park, often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap", located in downtown Durham.

The team became internationally famous in 1988 following the release of the movie Bull Durham, which starred Kevin Costner as a veteran catcher, Tim Robbins as a talented young pitcher, and Susan Sarandon as their love interest.

At the time of Bull Durham, both the real Bulls and their movie counterparts played in the high-A Carolina League, two steps below their current position in the Triple-A IL. The team moved up in 1998, when the Triple-A leagues expanded by two teams to accommodate affiliates for the major league expansion Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks. Currently in their 10th Triple-A season, they have already won two Governors' Cups.

For more information:
Durham Bulls
409 Blackwell Street
Durham, NC 27701
Mail: PO Box 507
Durham, NC 27702
Phone: 919-687-6500
Tickets: 919-956-BULL

Atlantic Coast Conference

Triangle area collegiate athletic teams - Duke, North Carolina State and North Carolina - along with Wake Forest, make up the "Big Four" in North Carolina and play in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Founded in 1953, the ACC's twelve member universities compete in twenty sports in the NCAA's Division I. Football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the higher of two levels of Division I college football.

Other teams in the ACC are: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami (FL), Virginia and Virginia Tech.

For more information:
Atlantic Coast Conference
PO Drawer ACC
Greensboro, NC 27417-6724
Phone: 336-854-8787