The Method Road Soccer Stadium has served the soccer teams well ever since 1984. Back then, that stadium was an improvement from the previous complex, Lee Field. Lee Field is sandwiched into a small area, right between Doak Field at Dail Park and Lee Hall.

But in recent years, Method Road Soccer Stadium has come under some scrutiny. Several aspects of the complex were unsatisfactory, such as the fact that the stadium has no lights.

Finally, after a long construction process, the N.C. State Soccer Stadium is ready to host games. Here are a few of the improvements that the soccer teams and their fans will enjoy this year.

Gametimes

Because the Method Road Stadium had no lights to offer, many games which would otherwise be played at night had to be played in the afternoon, which is when temperatures are at their highest. Also, because games couldn’t be played at night, many weekday games interfered with classes which prevented students from attending.

The women’s soccer team played an exhibition on the field during the spring, winning 3-2 over the Spartans from UNC Greensboro. After the game, junior forward Briana Cunningham said the new stadium had a vastly better atmosphere.

“In Method there were no lights and games were during class times. It was amazing playing in front of a big crowd finally,” Cunningham said.

Location

The new complex also provides a much better location for students than Method Road. Method was far enough away from campus to discourage students from attending.

“I went to the [inagural] game Friday night, and there were a lot of people there,” Athletic Director Lee Fowler said, “People just walk by and see what’s going on. There were a lot of other things going on in town that night, but people chose to come here.”

Now, playing right across the street from Reynolds Coliseum on Cates Avenue makes it simple for any student to access the games. Both the location and the gametime changes should lead to higher attendance for both soccer teams.

“We’re excited to finally be able to have people come out and watch our games,” Cunningham said after the exhibition game against UNCG.

Recruiting and Reputation

According to Fowler, both soccer teams had their recruiting hurt by playing at Method Road.

“It hurt the team’s chances with recruits. Since Method Road had no lights, our games were played at the same time as [our recruits] practice and play games. Now our recruits can attend our games,” he said.

Fowler went on to add that he feels the soccer teams have an elevated chance of success overall as a program in the new facility.

“They should do better here,” he said. Fowler said the programs will only continue to gain reputation as the stadium undergoes further changes.

“We will build a press box … and hopefully eventually have a building where the teams can go at halftime,” Fowler said.