Visiting Buies Creek for a Game?

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is the main gateway for visiting Buies Creek, located approximately 33-40 road miles northeast of campus with a typical drive time of 50 to 75 minutes via US-401 South and NC-27. Fayetteville Regional Airport (FAY) is a closer option at roughly 30-40 miles south, though it offers far fewer commercial flight connections. There is no direct public transit link from RDU to Buies Creek, so renting a car at the airport or pre-booking a rideshare or on-demand car service is the practical choice for most visiting fans.

A personal vehicle is essentially required in Buies Creek — the Harnett Area Rural Transit System (HARTS) operates only dial-a-ride services for residents, and there is no fixed-route bus service connecting campus to surrounding areas. Uber and Lyft do operate in the area, but availability can be thin in this rural, unincorporated community, especially after evening games when demand spikes; always book your ride home before the final buzzer. The John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center is right on Campbell University's campus along NC-27 (Leslie Campbell Avenue), so once you have a car, parking on or near campus is your primary concern.

Buies Creek itself has essentially no hotel inventory — the closest lodging clusters are in Lillington (roughly 5-10 minutes by car) and Dunn (roughly 10-15 minutes by car), where you'll find budget-friendly chain options like the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lillington/Campbell Univ and the Hampton Inn Dunn starting around $70-$100 per night. Dunn, just off I-95 at Exit 73, is the most practical base for visiting fans who want quick highway access and a slightly wider selection of restaurants and gas stations within walking distance. Book well in advance around Campbell's high-profile home games, conference tournaments, and graduation weekends — the limited nearby inventory sells out quickly when big events hit campus.

Buies Creek is a classic small-college sports town built entirely around Campbell University, a Division I program competing in the Big South Conference, which means the atmosphere at the Convocation Center is tight-knit and intimate — visiting fans will find themselves genuinely close to the action with none of the anonymity of a large arena. The men's and women's basketball programs share the Convocation Center, giving fans a chance to catch both programs on the same trip if scheduling aligns. Campbell has a growing athletic profile across multiple sports, so checking the full home schedule before your trip can reveal football at Barker-Lane Stadium or baseball at Jim Perry Stadium as easy add-ons. The Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) is about an hour away, meaning a Buies Creek trip can realistically be paired with ACC-level action at NC State's PNC Arena or UNC's Dean Smith Center for a true multi-game college basketball weekend.