— The North Carolina Football Club, which comprises the North Carolina FC and NC Courage soccer teams, had joined the exponentially growing number of employers furloughing workers in the midst of the coronavirus crisis and ensuing economic stagnation. According to multiple sources, on Thursday the club placed over a dozen employees on unpaid furlough, their first such action since the outbreak began. The affected workers include most of their ticket sales office, equipment managers and other front office staff. Players, coaches, and administrative staff remain unaffected at this time.

The furloughed workers are now eligible to file for unemployment benefits, poised to join the over 350,000 unemployment insurance claims filed in North Carolina since March 16, over 300,000 of them related to COVID-19 layoffs.

Club owner Steve Malik told WRAL News that furloughed workers will continue to receive their employer-provided health benefits.

“In these unprecedented times, like many other sports clubs, North Carolina Football Club is making thoughtful, strategic decisions to ensure that we will be ready to compete and fulfill our role as a community rallying point,” Malik said in an email. “While no employees have been terminated nor lost health benefits, we are seeking to utilize resources made available by the government to support those financially affected by this crisis. As we continue to know more about when our teams, North Carolina Courage and North Carolina FC, can return to the field, our players, coaches and core staff remain full-time and fully compensated, ready to start the season.”

North Carolina Football Club is not the first, and likely not the last, American soccer organization to initiate staff furloughs during the coronavirus season stoppage. Last week, USL club Memphis 901 FC laid off 18 permanent workers while furloughing an undisclosed number of others. Outside the U.S., other well-heeled clubs have begun to furlough staff, including Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Norwich City in the English Premier League.

North Carolina FC plays in the USL Championship, which just extended its moratorium on team training through Sunday, April 19. The NWSL, where the NC Courage are the two-time defending league champions, has a training moratorium until April 5. Given the current spread of the virus, along with a growing number of state and local bans on large gatherings, it appears likely those dates will be pushed back.

The USL regular season was suspended on March 12, following its opening weekend. The NWSL has already announced that its 2020 campaign will not kick off as scheduled on April 18.