Here at Sporting JAX, we’re always getting asked about our future stadium. We may not be able to share those details just yet, but there are plenty of awesome venues already in the USL Championship and USL Super League that deserve a look in the meantime.
Class of the Field
Answers may vary depending on who you ask, but it’s hard to deny that Louisville City FC’s Lynn Family Stadium is one of the gems of the Championship. Having opened just four years ago, it’s also one of the league’s newest stadiums. Its sleek partial-roofing structure provides shade from the elements for fans. It even has a second deck of seating, which helps retain noise and fosters an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams. Lou City matches are also consistently near the top of league attendance figures, adding to the stadium’s great reputation.
This next one is even newer, with a grand opening in 2021. Weidner Field, home of Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, may be smaller than Louisville’s outfit, but it’s still quite the venue. Its sleek, modern look is bolstered by a gigantic public art sculpture sitting in the northeast corner of the stadium. Known as “The Epicenter,” the $4.5 million project was built as a new landmark for the city of Colorado Springs.
One last sleek newcomer we’ll visit is One Spokane Stadium, which serves as the home of Super League’s Spokane Zephyr FC. Nestled in downtown Spokane, the nearly-brand new stadium is a great place to catch a match and see views of the skyline. Also hosting high school sports, it serves as a true community home for the city. An added bonus is that you’re near Eastern Washington’s beautiful Palouse region and its rolling hills.
Historic Homes
The USL may not have the lengthiest history of any sports league in the United States, but that doesn’t mean some of its stadiums don’t have time-honored stories of their own to share.
One would be remiss to discuss history and skip over Detroit City FC’s Keyworth Stadium. The venue opened in 1936 as an initiative of the Works Progress Administration, which was part of the New Deal. These types of projects were meant to help curb the effects of the Great Depression, but we still get to enjoy it nearly 100 years later. Keyworth has had no lack of VIP guests, having hosted former U.S. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Adding to the fun is the flanking rail road which sends trains past the stadium, sometimes during matches!
Another USL stadium rife with history is a bit newer to the organization. Having hosted its first USL match on September 7, the Cotton Bowl Stadium has joined the USL Super League as the home of Dallas Trinity FC. The stadium is already well-known for its college football games. It was the former home of the Cotton Bowl Classic and still hosts the Red River Rivalry showdown between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s time for professional women’s soccer to add to the history of this incredible venue that has occupied the site since 1930.
One last historic stadium we’ll look at is Trinity Health Stadium, home of Hartford Athletic. Opening in 1935, it’s seen some sights, including the U.S. National Team, the Polish National Team, Italy’s S.S. Lazio and more. Non-sports guests include the likes of the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. Home to rockers and soccer alike, Trinity Health Stadium has served the Hartford area faithfully for nearly a century.
Serene Sceneries
The United States is home to beautiful landscapes, and the USL’s stadiums are no exception. The first that comes to mind is Highmark Stadium, home of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Situated directly on the Monongahela River, it offers unreal views of the Pittsburgh skyline. There’s just something about this city’s stadiums and the views they offer. If water isn’t your thing, it’s also nestled on the other side by mountainous hills! It may be on the smaller side, but it makes up for it with an intimate atmosphere and some of the best sights in all of American sports.
Another one that fits the bill is Al Lang Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. This is likely one of the most literal club names in the USL, as the stadium’s waterfront location overlooks Tampa Bay. Views are filled with sights of yachts and St. Petersburg high-rises. Another cool nugget regarding the venue is that the IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg’s track layout sends race cars flying past both sides on Bayshore Drive and 1st Street!
Those who aren’t aquatic enjoyers may need to avert their eyes as this next one is another venue that happens to be near water. Charleston Battery’s Patriots Point is located in the Hog Island area of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Not only is it a fantastic environment for a match, but it also offers an amazing view of the nearby Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Some may recognize the structure from an appearance in the popular Netflix series Outer Banks. Its unique design and scale makes it the third longest cable-stayed bridge in all of the Western Hemisphere.
Impact on Sporting JAX
While we can’t share many details, Sporting JAX remains committed to our goal of building a 15,000 seat soccer-specific stadium for our teams in Northeast Florida. This is no overnight process, which also means that there has been years of research and thought put into the project even before breaking ground.
The existing stadiums of the USL provide great inspiration as we go about building our own. Sporting JAX has taken many of these into account as establish our home on the First Coast that will serve the community for years to come. Until then, keep watching USL matches, whether that be on your couch or in some of these beautiful stadiums.