Soccer-specific stadium explained
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada[1] to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-purpose stadium which is for a variety of sports. A soccer-specific stadium may host other sporting events (such as lacrosse, American football and rugby) and concerts, but the design and purpose of a soccer-specific stadium is primarily for soccer. Some facilities (for example SeatGeek Stadium, Toyota Stadium and Historic Crew Stadium) have a permanent stage at one end of the stadium used for staging concerts.
A soccer-specific stadium typically has amenities, dimensions and scale suitable for soccer in North America, including a scoreboard, video screen, luxury suites and possibly a roof. The field dimensions are within the range found optimal by FIFA: 110yd120yd long by 64– wide.[2] These soccer field dimensions are wider than the regulation American football field width of NaNyd, or the 65yd width of a Canadian football field. The playing surface typically consists of grass as opposed to artificial turf, as the latter is generally disfavored for soccer matches since players are more susceptible to injuries.[3] However, some soccer specific stadiums, such as Portland's Providence Park and Creighton University's Morrison Stadium, do have artificial turf.
The seating capacity is generally between 18,000 and 30,000 for a Major League Soccer franchise,[4] or smaller for college or minor league soccer teams. This is in comparison to the much larger American football stadiums that mostly range between 60,000 and 80,000 in which the original North American Soccer League teams played and most MLS teams occupied during the league's inception.[5] As opposed to gridiron-style football stadiums, where the front row of seats is elevated several feet above the field of play to allow spectators to see over the heads of substitute players and coaches on the sidelines, soccer-specific venues typically have the front row closer to the level of the pitch.[6] [7]
History
In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, first-division professional soccer leagues in the United States, such as the North American Soccer League and Major League Soccer, primarily used American football fields, many of which were oversized in terms of seating capacity and undersized in terms of the width of the soccer field; they often used artificial turf (none of which, at the time, were approved for international soccer under FIFA rules). Although many of the baseball parks had smaller capacities, natural grass, and a wider field, these parks were generally in use during summer, when North American–based soccer leagues, such as Major League Soccer, also hold their seasons, and the irregular field dimensions and sightlines were often considered undesirable.
Soccer-specific stadiums first came into use in the 1990s, after the multi-purpose stadium era.[8] [9]
The term "soccer-specific stadium" was coined by Lamar Hunt, who financed the construction of the Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium constructed specifically for Major League Soccer.[8] In the 2000s, other Major League Soccer teams in the United States began constructing their own stadiums. Canada's first soccer-specific stadium was BMO Field in Toronto, home to Toronto FC. This stadium was renovated to accommodate Canadian football for the 2016 and subsequent seasons.[10] The distinction is less prominent in Canada, where MLS's attendance figures are comparable to those of the domestic Canadian Football League, and the CFL's wider field means fewer compromises must be made to accommodate both; Tim Hortons Field was built purposely to both soccer specifications and CFL regulations. Of the three Canadian cities that host both MLS and CFL teams, only one (Montreal) has separate stadiums for each.
Major League Soccer (MLS)
See also: List of Major League Soccer stadiums.
Current MLS soccer-specific stadiums
| Stadium | Club(s) | City | Capacity | Opened |
|---|
| Allianz Field | Minnesota United FC | Saint Paul, Minnesota | 19,400 | 2019 |
| America First Field | Real Salt Lake | Sandy, Utah | 20,213 | 2008 |
| Audi Field | D.C. United | Washington, D.C. | 20,000 | 2018 |
| BMO Field | Toronto FC | Toronto, Ontario | 28,351 | 2007 |
| BMO Stadium | Los Angeles FC | Los Angeles, California | 22,000 | 2018 |
| Children's Mercy Park | Sporting Kansas City | Kansas City, Kansas | 18,467 | 2011 |
| Citypark | St. Louis City SC | St. Louis, Missouri | 22,423 | 2022 |
| Dick's Sporting Goods Park | Colorado Rapids | Commerce City, Colorado | 18,061 | 2007 |
| Dignity Health Sports Park | LA Galaxy | Carson, California | 27,000 | 2003 |
| Chase Stadium | Inter Miami CF | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 21,550 | 2019 |
| Inter&Co Stadium | Orlando City SC | Orlando, Florida | 25,500 | 2017 |
| Geodis Park | Nashville SC | Nashville, Tennessee | 30,000 | 2022 |
| Lower.com Field | Columbus Crew | Columbus, Ohio | 20,371 | 2021 |
| PayPal Park | San Jose Earthquakes | San Jose, California | 18,000 | 2015 |
| Shell Energy Stadium | Houston Dynamo FC | Houston, Texas | 22,039 | 2012 |
| Providence Park | Portland Timbers | Portland, Oregon | 25,218 | 1926 |
| Q2 Stadium | Austin FC | Austin, Texas | 20,738 | 2021 |
| Red Bull Arena | New York Red Bulls | Harrison, New Jersey | 25,000 | 2010 |
| Saputo Stadium | CF Montréal | Montreal, Quebec | 19,619 | 2008 |
| Subaru Park | Philadelphia Union | Chester, Pennsylvania | 18,500 | 2010 |
| Toyota Stadium | FC Dallas | Frisco, Texas | 19,096 | 2005 |
| TQL Stadium | FC Cincinnati | Cincinnati, Ohio | 26,000 | 2021 | |
Under construction
National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
See also: List of National Women's Soccer League stadiums.
Current NWSL soccer-specific stadiums
| Stadium | Club(s) | City | Capacity | Opened |
|---|
| Audi Field | Washington Spirit | Washington, D.C. | 20,000 | 2018 |
| BMO Stadium | Angel City FC | Los Angeles, California | 22,000 | 2018 |
| CPKC Stadium | Kansas City Current | Kansas City, Missouri | 11,500 | 2024 |
| Inter&Co Stadium | Orlando Pride | Orlando, Florida | 25,500 | 2017 |
| Lynn Family Stadium | Racing Louisville FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 11,700 | 2021 |
| Shell Energy Stadium | Houston Dash | Houston, Texas | 22,039 | 2012 |
| Providence Park | Portland Thorns FC | Portland, Oregon | 25,218 | 2011 |
| Red Bull Arena | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Harrison, New Jersey | 25,000 | 2010 |
| SeatGeek Stadium | Chicago Red Stars | Bridgeview, Illinois | 20,000 | 2006 |
| WakeMed Soccer Park | North Carolina Courage | Cary, North Carolina | 10,000 | 2002 | |
United Soccer League (USL)
Current USLC and USL1 soccer-specific stadiums
All USL Championship teams and USL League One teams will be required to play in self-owned, soccer-specific stadiums by the 2022 season. The following is a list of current USL stadiums that are soccer-specific stadiums:
| Stadium | Club(s) | City | Capacity | Opened |
|---|
| Al Lang Stadium | Tampa Bay Rowdies | St. Petersburg, Florida | 7,227 | 1947 (2015 renovation) |
| American Legion Memorial Stadium | Charlotte Independence | Charlotte, North Carolina | 10,500 | 1934 (2019–2021 renovation) |
| Breese Stevens Field | Forward Madison FC | Madison, Wisconsin | 5,000 | 1926 |
| Cardinale Stadium | Monterey Bay FC | Seaside, California | 6,000 | 2022 |
| Cashman Field | Las Vegas Lights FC | Las Vegas, Nevada | 9,334 | 1983 (2019–2020 renovation) |
| Championship Soccer Stadium | Orange County SC | Irvine, California | 5,000 | 2017 |
| CHI Memorial Stadium | Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | Chattanooga, Tennessee | 5,500 | 2020 |
| Optim Health System Field | South Georgia Tormenta FC | Statesboro, Georgia | 5,300 | 2022 |
| Fresno State Soccer Stadium | Central Valley Fuego FC | Fresno, California | 1,000 | 2011 |
| H-E-B Park | Rio Grande Valley FC Toros | Edinburg, Texas | 9,400 | 2017 |
| Heart Health Park | Sacramento Republic FC | Sacramento, California | 11,242 | 2014 |
| Highmark Stadium | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 5,000 | 2013 |
| Legacy Early College Field | Greenville Triumph SC | Greenville, South Carolina | 4,000 | 2019 |
| Lynn Family Stadium | Louisville City FC | Louisville, Kentucky | 11,700 | 2020 |
| Patriots Point Soccer Complex | Charleston Battery | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina | 3,500 | 2000 |
| Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium | Phoenix Rising FC | Phoenix, Arizona | 10,000 | 2023 |
| Regal Stadium | One Knoxville SC | Knoxville, Tennessee | 3,000 | 1996 |
| Segra Field | Loudoun United FC | Leesburg, Virginia | 5,000 | 2019 |
| Tormenta Stadium | South Georgia Tormenta FC | Statesboro, Georgia | 5,300 | 2022 |
| Toyota Field | San Antonio FC | San Antonio, Texas | 8,296 | 2013 |
| Trinity Health Stadium | Hartford Athletic | Hartford, Connecticut | 5,500 | 1960 (2019 renovation) |
| WakeMed Soccer Park | North Carolina FC | Cary, North Carolina | 10,000 | 2002 |
| Weidner Field | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 8,000 | 2021 |
| One Spokane Stadium | Spokane Velocity | Spokane, Washington | 5,000 | 2023 | |
Stadiums under construction
Proposed USL soccer-specific stadiums
NCAA (Division I)
| Stadium | Team(s) | City | Capacity | Opened |
|---|
| Albert-Daly Field | William & Mary Tribe | Williamsburg, Virginia | 1,000 | 2004 |
| Ambrose Urbanic Field | Pittsburgh Panthers | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 735 | 2011 |
| BBVA Field | UAB Blazers | Birmingham, Alabama | 5,000 | 2015 |
| Belson Stadium | St. John's Red Storm | Queens, New York | 2,600 | 2001 |
| Bill Armstrong Stadium | Indiana Hoosiers | Bloomington, Indiana | 6,500 | 1981 |
| Columbia Soccer Stadium | Columbia Lions | Manhattan, New York | 3,500 | 1985 |
| Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium | West Virginia Mountaineers | Morgantown, West Virginia | 1,600 | 2004 |
| Louisville Cardinals | Louisville, Kentucky | 5,300 | 2014 |
| Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium | Minnesota Golden Gophers | Falcon Heights, Minnesota | 1,000 | 1999 |
| Ellis Field | Texas A&M Aggies | College Station, Texas | 3,500 | 1994 |
| Eugene E. Stone III Stadium | South Carolina Gamecocks | Columbia, South Carolina | 5,000 | 1981 |
| Razorback Field | Arkansas Razorbacks | Fayetteville, AR | 1,500 | 1992 |
| Eugene E. Stone III Stadium | Furman Paladins | Greenville, South Carolina | 3,000 | 1995 |
| Harder Stadium | UC Santa Barbara Gauchos | Santa Barbara, California | 17,000 | 1966 |
| Hermann Stadium | Saint Louis Billikens | St. Louis, Missouri | 6,050 | 1999 |
| Hofstra University Soccer Stadium | Hofstra Pride | Hempstead, New York | 1,600 | 2003 |
| Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium | Tulsa Golden Hurricane | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 2,000 | 2003 |
| Lamar Soccer Complex | Lamar Lady Cardinals | Beaumont, Texas | 500 | 2009 |
| Mazzella Field | Iona Gaels | New Rochelle, New York | 2,400 | 1989 |
| Mean Green Village | North Texas Mean Green | Denton, Texas | 1,000 | 2006 |
| Merlo Field | Portland Pilots | Portland, Oregon | 4,892 | 1990 |
| Mike Rose Soccer Complex | | Memphis, Tennessee | 2,500 | 2001 |
| Morrison Stadium | Creighton Bluejays | Omaha, Nebraska | 6,000 | 2003 |
| Morrone Stadium | UConn Huskies | Storrs, Connecticut | 5,100 | 1969 |
| Nicholls Soccer Complex | Nicholls State Colonels | Thibodaux, Louisiana | 1,000 | 1998 |
| Old Dominion Soccer Complex | Old Dominion Monarchs and Lady Monarchs | Norfolk, Virginia | 4,000 | 1990 |
| Riggs Field | Clemson Tigers | Clemson, South Carolina | 6,500 | 1915 |
| Roberts Stadium | Princeton Tigers | Princeton, New Jersey | 2,356 | 2008 |
| SU Soccer Stadium | Syracuse Orange | Syracuse, New York | 1,500 | 1996 |
| University of Denver Soccer Stadium | Denver Pioneers | Denver, Colorado | 2,000 | 2009 |
| UNCG Soccer Stadium | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, North Carolina | 3,540 | 1990 |
| Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex | Marshall Thundering Herd | Huntington, West Virginia | 1,006 | 2013 |
| Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium | | Waipiʻo, Hawaii | 4,500 | 2000 |
| Yurcak Field | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Piscataway, New Jersey | 5,000 | 1994 |
| Ole Miss Soccer Stadium | Ole Miss Rebels | Oxford, Mississippi | 1,500 | 1997 | |
Other soccer-specific stadiums
| Stadium | Team(s) | Division | City | Capacity | Opened |
|---|
| City Park Stadium | Westchester Flames | USL2 | New Rochelle, New York | 1,845 | 1970s |
| Historic Crew Stadium | Columbus Crew 2 | MLS Next Pro | Columbus, Ohio | 20,000 | 1999 |
| King George V Park | National Stadium
Memorial Sea-Hawks | CONCACAF
U Sports | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador | 6,400 | 1925 |
| Lusitano Stadium | Western Mass Pioneers | USL2 | Ludlow, Massachusetts | 3,000 | 1918 |
| Macpherson Stadium | North Carolina Fusion U23 | USL2 | Browns Summit, North Carolina | 7,000 | 2002 |
| Metropolitan Oval | | | Queens, New York | 1,500 | 1925 (2001 renovation) |
| Orange Beach Sportsplex | Local teams, SEC Women's Soccer Tournament | Local | Orange Beach, Alabama | 1,500 | 2001 |
| Starfire Sports | | | Tukwila, Washington | 4,500 | 2002 |
| Switchbacks Training Stadium | | | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 5,000 | 1985 |
| Uihlein Soccer Park | MSOE Raiders | NCAA | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 7,000 | 1994 |
| Virginia Beach Sportsplex | Virginia Beach United FC | USL2 | Virginia Beach, Virginia | 10,500 | 1999 |
| Wallis Annenberg Stadium | UCLA Bruins teams | | Los Angeles, California | 2,145 | 2018 |
| WRAL Soccer Center | CASL teams | CASL | Raleigh, North Carolina | 3,200 | 1990 | |
Past soccer-specific stadiums
Other countries
The term "football-specific stadium" is sometimes used in countries where the sport is known as football rather than soccer, although the term is not common in countries where football is the dominant sport and thus football-specific stadiums are quite common. The term tends to have a slightly different meaning in these countries, usually referring to a stadium without an athletics track surrounding the field.[11] [12] Some soccer stadiums in Europe are also used for other sports, including rugby, American football, and field hockey. The problem with oversized stadiums designed for another sport is particularly visible in European American football leagues and conflicts between teams sharing the stadium (a notable example are Eintracht Braunschweig and the Braunschweig Lions which share a stadium) and (often municipal) owners of the stadiums sometimes arise, leading to attempts at single sport-specific venues.[13]
In Australia the term has much the same meaning as that in the United States. The dominance of Australian rules football in the southern states means that unlike in New South Wales and Queensland, rectangular stadiums and grounds capable of hosting top level A-League soccer are rare. Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide, South Australia is an example of such a soccer-specific stadium, being built in the 1960s and progressively updated, the vast majority of matches played there are soccer, with very rare Rugby League or Rugby Union games. The Wyndham City Stadium and Wyndham Regional Football Facility are also examples. Many of the lower tier state league clubs own their own venues which also qualify as soccer specific.
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Sakiewicz, Edward Paul . 2006 . A Comparative Study of Enterprise Risk Management and Decision Making Criteria Used in Developing Soccer-specific Stadiums for Major League Soccer . Chapter I: Introduction . 24 . Capella University . 9780542914812 . . August 1, 2015.
- Web site: Laws of the Game 2010/2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100704211500/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/81/42/36/lawsofthegame_2010_11_e.pdf . dead . July 4, 2010 . FIFA . 7 . October 9, 2010. Although the official Laws of the Game allow for pitches in adult matches to be 90- long by 45- wide. The more restrictive range is specified for international matches like the ones used in the FIFA World Cup.
- Web site: September 10, 2014. USWNT stars not backing down on artificial playing surface stance. Fox Sports. FOX Sports. October 9, 2014.
- News: Andrews . Phil . December 31, 2005 . Philadelphia's Field of Dreams: MLS' Newest Home . . August 1, 2015.
- News: May 12, 2012 . M.L.S. Continues to Bolster Growing Brand With New Stadium in Houston . . . August 1, 2015.
- News: Schrotenboer. Brent. Chargers plan to play in smallest 'NFL stadium' for next two seasons. USA Today. January 12, 2017. February 25, 2017.
- News: Spurs are starting a stadium design revolution in Tottenham. Rob . Hastings . January 24, 2017. iNews. July 20, 2018 .
- News: Arace . Michael . September 10, 2013 . Michael Arace commentary: Aging Crew Stadium still has a big advantage . . August 1, 2015.
- News: Granillo . Larry . September 14, 2009 . Football, Baseball, and the Era of the "Superstadium" . Wezen-Ball . August 1, 2015.
- Web site: BMO Field . August 2, 2013 . The Stadium Guide . August 1, 2015.
- News: Exclusive: We will beat Olympic Stadium claim Tottenham . 24 July 2023 . insidethegames.biz . 23 December 2009.
- News: Buenos Aires: Symbolic revamp at El Monumental . 24 July 2023 . StadiumDB.com . 10 September 2020.
- News: Luxembourg: Only stadium with running track to be demolished? . 24 July 2023 . StadiumDB.com . 21 November 2011.
