Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/New York
- From 3:00 PM
NCAA Men’s College Cup Semifinals in Cary: Dec. 11, 2026
A Friday ticket covers two single-elimination games in the final stage of the NCAA men’s soccer tournament. The winners advance to a separate championship match on Monday, Dec. 14.
The bracket sets the stakes; the matchups are still pending
The Men’s College Cup is the last stop in a 48-team, single-elimination tournament. Thirty-two teams receive automatic bids and 16 are selected at large; after the earlier rounds, four remain for the two semifinals in Cary.
The NCAA’s bracket page is marked “Coming Soon,” so the Friday listing identifies the games only as Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 2. If you are following a particular team, wait for the bracket announcement before deciding which kickoff to attend.
Further reading: NCAA Soccer Championship Information | NCAATickets.com ↗ · NCAA Men's College Cup Tickets | NCAATickets.com ↗
Two chances to watch a team advance
Both Friday matches are knockout games: a team must win to move on. Regulation is 90 minutes; if a tournament match is tied, the NCAA format calls for two 10-minute overtime periods and then penalty kicks if needed. The listed kickoff times therefore do not establish when either game will finish.
The two semifinals are one Friday ticket session, and the NCAA broadcast schedule lists both on ESPNU. The national championship is a distinct match on Monday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. ET. An all-session ticket covers the semifinals and that final; a Friday single-session ticket does not.
Further reading: NCAA Soccer Championship Information | NCAATickets.com ↗ · NCAA Men's College Cup Tickets | NCAATickets.com ↗ · Men's College Cup Broadcast Info | NCAATickets.com ↗
A returning College Cup setting
First Horizon Stadium sits within WakeMed Soccer Park, a 150-acre Cary facility with a 10,000-seat stadium and seven additional soccer fields. The park opened in 2002, has hosted multiple NCAA College Cups and is operated and managed by the Town of Cary.
Further reading: WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, NC 27511 ↗
Friday’s semifinal card
The NCAA broadcast schedule lists both Friday semifinals on ESPNU. The matchups remain unannounced in the current bracket information, and broadcast details may change.
Friday, December 11, 2026 · First Horizon Stadium
- Semifinal 1
- Semifinal 2
Plan around the gates, not just kickoff
Friday, Dec. 11, 2026
Parking lots open at 3 p.m.; the Fan Zone at the northeast gate opens at 4 p.m.; and stadium gates open at 4:30 p.m. Semifinal 1 starts at 6 p.m. ET and Semifinal 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The schedule gives no match end times. NCAA ticket terms say dates and times are subject to change.
Men's College Cup Game Day Guide | NCAATickets.com ↗ · NCAA Ticketed Events Terms & Conditions | NCAATickets.com ↗
Friday session or all-session access
A ticket is required; the event listing says admission varies but does not give a price. NCAA options include a single-session ticket for Friday’s two semifinals and an all-session ticket that also includes the Monday, Dec. 14, championship match. Check the NCAA ticket page for current prices and seating options.
Children under 2 are admitted free when seated on a parent or legal guardian’s lap; a child who needs a separate seat must have a ticket. NCAA terms say sales are final. Refunds are limited to specified cases, including cancellation without rescheduling, admission refused or revoked, or a capacity-related ticket cancellation; the terms exclude refunds for ejection or denied entry due to conduct violations. Re-entry is not allowed unless the facility posts otherwise.
NCAA Men's College Cup - Semifinals | Cary, NC 27511 ↗ · NCAA Men's College Cup Tickets | NCAATickets.com ↗ · general ticketing FAQ's | NCAATickets.com ↗ · NCAA Ticketed Events Terms & Conditions | NCAATickets.com ↗
Mobile tickets and the East Gate box office
This is a mobile-ticket event. The NCAA recommends adding tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet before arrival. Transfer each attendee’s ticket in advance if people will enter separately, or plan to arrive together. Screenshots are not accepted; show the ticket on a mobile device or in its digital wallet.
Getting to First Horizon Stadium
Address and parking entrances
The event-day guide gives the destination as First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, 101 Soccer Park Dr., Cary, NC 27511. It says parking is free and warns that heavy traffic and congestion are expected; arriving early is advised.
Public parking should enter from Trinity Road through the east entrance. Credentialed vehicles and drop-offs should use the west entrance from Soccer Park Drive. Additional parking is listed at Fenton via Quinard Road; the guide directs fans from there along the cross-country trail south of the stadium. It does not clarify whether the Fenton parking is covered by the free-parking statement.
Men's College Cup Game Day Guide | NCAATickets.com ↗ · NCAA Men's College Cup - Semifinals | Cary, NC 27511 ↗
Transit and directions
The supplied event-day directions do not list transit routes or stops. Use the map links to calculate directions from your own starting point; no travel time or transit service is confirmed here.
Men's College Cup Game Day Guide | NCAATickets.com ↗ · NCAA Men's College Cup - Semifinals | Cary, NC 27511 ↗
Before you make a plan
Are the semifinal teams known yet?
Not in the current NCAA bracket information, which is marked Coming Soon. The Friday schedule identifies the games as Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 2.
NCAA Soccer Championship Information | NCAATickets.com ↗ · NCAA Men's College Cup Tickets | NCAATickets.com ↗
Does a Friday ticket include the championship match?
A Friday single-session ticket covers the two semifinals. An all-session ticket includes those games and the separate championship on Monday, Dec. 14.
Can I use a screenshot of my mobile ticket?
No. Display the ticket on your mobile device or in its digital wallet; the NCAA says screenshots are not accepted.
general ticketing FAQ's | NCAATickets.com ↗ · Men's College Cup Game Day Guide | NCAATickets.com ↗
Where can I ask about accessible seating?
The NCAA ticket FAQ directs seating questions to [email protected] and says accessible-seat tickets are handled through its ticket portal.
Location & Google Maps
First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
101 Soccer Park Dr., Cary, NC 27511
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.