Campbell University

John Payne Photo Gallery
Tales from the Creek Podcast | John Payne (August 2024)
John Payne Big South Hall of Fame Induction

John Payne, ’91 was inducted into the Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.  He was named the 1989 Big South men’s soccer player of the year and a was four-time All-Big South selection during his time in Buies Creek -- the league’s first-ever four-time honoree.  

Voted to the Big South Men’s Soccer 1984-89 All-Decade team, Payne scored 33 goals in 76 career matches and earned All-South Region honors twice in his career.  

A native of Dublin, Ireland, he led Campbell to a national ranking as high as No. 14 in 1988 and a 17-3 overall record that included victories over No. 3 North Carolina and No. 10 Duke.  Named Campbell's Outstanding Male Athlete in 1989-90, Payne was a three-time team MVP.  He was part of two Big South regular-season championship squads (1988, 1990), helped the Camels reach the 1989 Big South Championship match, and was named to the Big South All-Tournament team twice (1987, 1989).  

Following his time at Campbell, Payne played professionally indoors for three years with the Milwaukee Wave, and outdoors with the Wilmington Hammerheads (2002, 2003), helping the team to the quarterfinals of the 1993 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.  

He was inducted into the Big South Hall of Fame in 2022.  

Now employed as a Treasury Administrator, CPA with the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, Payne and his wife Tracy, live in Wilmington, N.C.  They have five children – Kayleigh, Declan, Cassidy, Aidan and Shay – and one grandchild.