# North Carolina FC

> soccer team based in the Triangle Research area

**Wikidata**: [Q1044425](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1044425)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_FC)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/north-carolina-fc

## Summary
North Carolina FC is an American association football club based in Cary, North Carolina, within the Research Triangle area. Founded on January 26, 2006, the club currently competes in the USL Championship and plays its home matches at WakeMed Soccer Park. Originally established as the Carolina RailHawks, the organization was officially rebranded to North Carolina Football Club on December 6, 2016.

## Key Facts
- **Official Name**: North Carolina Football Club (officially renamed from Carolina RailHawks on December 6, 2016).
- **Founded**: January 26, 2006.
- **Location**: Cary, North Carolina, United States (Research Triangle area).
- **Sport**: Association football (soccer).
- **Current League**: USL Championship (since 2018).
- **Home Venue**: WakeMed Soccer Park.
- **Head Coach**: Colin Clarke.
- **Owner**: Stephen Malik.
- **Website**: https://www.northcarolinafc.com/
- **Twitter Handle**: @northcarolinafc (Verified account, ID: 18767693, created January 8, 2009).
- **Instagram Handle**: @northcarolinafc.
- **Facebook Page**: NorthCarolinaFC.
- **Threads Username**: northcarolinafc.
- **Social Media Followers (Twitter)**: 25,989 (as of February 11, 2023).
- **Wikipedia Title**: North Carolina FC.
- **Wikidata Description**: soccer team based in the Research Triangle area.
- **Commons Category**: North Carolina FC.
- **Freebase ID**: /m/0fzs6w.
- **FBref Squad ID**: 822b124d.
- **Soccerway Team ID**: 8075.
- **Sportslogos.net Team ID**: 6372.
- **Wikipedia Languages**: Available in 14 languages (Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian).
- **Sitelink Count**: 14.
- **Category for Members**: Category:North Carolina FC players.
- **Topic's Main Category**: Category:North Carolina FC.
- **Aliases**: Carolina RailHawks, NCFC, RailHawks, Carolina RailHawks FC, North Carolina FC, Railhawks de la Caroline, ノースカロライナFC, FC北卡羅萊納, 北卡羅萊納FC, 卡罗莱纳鹰足球俱乐部, 北卡羅來納FC, 卡罗莱纳铁路鹰队, Каролина Рэйлхокс.

## FAQs
**What is the history of North Carolina FC's league participation?**
North Carolina FC has competed in several professional soccer leagues since its inception. The club played in the USL First Division from 2007 to 2009, participated in the USSF Division 2 Professional League in 2010, competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 2011 to 2017, and joined the USL Championship starting in 2018.

**What were the previous names of North Carolina FC?**
The club was originally founded as the Carolina RailHawks on January 26, 2006. It retained this official name until December 6, 2016, when it was officially rebranded to North Carolina Football Club. It is also commonly referred to by the abbreviations NCFC and the former alias RailHawks.

**Where does North Carolina FC play its home games?**
The club plays its home matches at WakeMed Soccer Park. The team is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, which is part of the Research Triangle area.

**Who manages and owns North Carolina FC?**
The club is currently owned by Stephen Malik. Colin Clarke serves as the head coach of the team.

## Why It Matters
North Carolina FC matters as a long-standing pillar of professional soccer in the American South, specifically within the Research Triangle region. Established in 2006, the club has demonstrated resilience and adaptability by successfully navigating multiple iterations of the United States soccer league system, from the USL First Division and NASL to its current position in the USL Championship. By rebranding to North Carolina Football Club in 2016, the organization signaled a broader regional ambition. The club provides a vital platform for domestic and international soccer talent, fostered through its operations at the specialized WakeMed Soccer Park, and maintains an active community presence evidenced by a dedicated following across multiple social media platforms.

## Notable For
- Maintaining a continuous presence in American professional soccer since its founding in 2006.
- Transitioning through four different professional leagues: USL First Division (2007–2009), USSF Division 2 Professional League (2010), North American Soccer League (2011–2017), and USL Championship (2018–present).
- Undergoing a major official rebrand from Carolina RailHawks to North Carolina Football Club on December 6, 2016.
- Playing in a dedicated soccer-specific venue, WakeMed Soccer Park.
- Having a global digital footprint, with its Wikipedia page translated into 14 different languages including Arabic, Korean, Turkish, and Ukrainian.
- Fostering a verified and engaged digital audience, reaching nearly 26,000 followers on Twitter by early 2023.

## Body

### Club Identity and Location
North Carolina FC is an association football club headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, within the United States. The organization is formally classified as both an association football club and an association football team. It is owned by Stephen Malik. The club boasts a diverse set of international aliases, reflecting its translation into multiple languages and regions. These names include Carolina RailHawks, NCFC, RailHawks, Carolina RailHawks FC, Railhawks de la Caroline, ノースカロライナFC, FC北卡羅萊納, 北卡羅萊納FC, 卡罗莱纳鹰足球俱乐部, 北卡羅來納FC, 卡罗莱纳铁路鹰队, and Каролина Рэйлхокс.

### History and Official Names
The club was founded on January 26, 2006, initially adopting the official name Carolina RailHawks. This name remained in use for exactly one decade before the organization officially changed its name to North Carolina Football Club on December 6, 2016. The English-language Wikipedia entry for the team is titled "North Carolina FC," and its Wikidata description identifies it as a "soccer team based in the Research Triangle area."

### Competitive History
Over its history, North Carolina FC has competed in multiple professional leagues across the American soccer pyramid:
- **USL First Division**: Joined in 2007 and competed through the 2009 season.
- **USSF Division 2 Professional League**: Competed during the 2010 season.
- **North American Soccer League (NASL)**: Participated from 2011 through the 2017 season.
- **USL Championship**: Joined in 2018, which serves as its current and preferred league competition.

### Operations and Facilities
The team is managed by Head Coach Colin Clarke. Domestic home matches are hosted at WakeMed Soccer Park, a dedicated soccer facility situated in the club's headquarters city of Cary. The broader organizational structure aligns with the standard model of an association football club, encompassing players, a coaching staff, a manager, sports physicians, a home venue, and a trademarked brand identity.

### Digital Presence and Media
North Carolina FC maintains an active and verified presence across major social and digital platforms:
- **Website**: The official website is located at https://www.northcarolinafc.com/ and is presented in English.
- **Twitter**: The verified handle is @northcarolinafc (Account ID: 18767693), which was created on January 8, 2009. The account accumulated 25,664 followers by January 2, 2021; 25,941 followers by March 1, 2022; and 25,989 followers by February 11, 2023.
- **Instagram and Threads**: Operates under the handle @northcarolinafc.
- **Facebook**: Operates the page "NorthCarolinaFC."
The club's digital footprint extends into global knowledge bases and sports databases. It holds a Freebase ID (/m/0fzs6w), an FBref squad ID (822b124d), a Soccerway team ID (8075), and a Sportslogos.net team ID (6372). Furthermore, the club's reach is evidenced by its Wikipedia presence, which spans 14 sitelinks and translations into languages such as German, French, Arabic, Russian, and Korean.

### Categorization and Classifications
Within major knowledge graphs and encyclopedic databases, North Carolina FC is rigorously categorized. Its primary topic category is "Category:North Carolina FC," and individuals who have played for the team are grouped under "Category:North Carolina FC players." Visual media related to the team are filed under the Wikimedia Commons category "North Carolina FC." The club is a specific instance of the broader "association football club" class (which corresponds to the DBpedia ontology class `http://dbpedia.org/ontology/SoccerClub` and holds the KBpedia ID "SoccerClub").

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. Google Knowledge Graph