USL Pro expansion club Phoenix FC will play their 2013 home games at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., the club announced on Tuesday.
The Wolves have reached an agreement with Arizona State University that will allow them to play at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium for their inaugural season in 2013. Phoenix will begin playing playing there this spring.
As part of the deal, Phoenix FC will invest to expand seating capacity by more than 4,000, which would bring the total capacity to over 5,000 seats. Phoenix has already purchased the additional seating, and construction is expected to begin next month and finish before the team begins its season in April.
What do you think of Phoenix FC playing at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium? Wishing they would have played elsewhere? Expecting the stadium to be sold out on a consistent basis?
Share your thoughts below.
I drove by the stadium yesterday…no construction has begun. They haven’t even torn down the fences…seems like the construction might be delayed a bit. Any word?
2800 is about the average for 2012 USL-Pro team attendance. Anything more than that will be a success for Phoenix.
But 5 teams had less than a thousand over the course of the season; I think 1000 is the real benchmark.
They said they already received over 500 season ticket deposits…..so 1000 should be doable!
Maybe if they do well they might have the potential to expand, but yeah a solid division 2-3 league is important for growth of the MLS as well, then if we can’t have a relegation system we could at least designate some of these teams as affiliates like baseball and basketball do. Promising young players can be shared or loaned to these lower division teams for playing time/professional experience they will not get in a reserve league.
good stuff; how about ASU get a men’s soccer program too! Crazy how many big schools don’t have a men’s soccer program
Thank Title IX for that!
thats what the AD from my alma mater always says but how come IU, UNC, UCLA etc all have top soccer, football, basketball, baseball, etc. programs! last i checked those schools are just a big as Texas, ASU, my alma mater CU, USC, Florida and plenty of other schools that would make some killer NCAA soccer programs. Especially with women’s only sports like volleyball that can balance the scales. Its an AD choice and a lot of schools/conferences need to get with the times.
Personally i think the with all of these conference realignments NCAA soccer should improve in the basketball heavy conferences like the big east but fall in the big10 and acc as they go heavier on football. All i want is that the Pac12 dominate in all sports!
Wait, why do they have a soccer stadium if they don’t have a soccer program?
Ah, women’s…
U of Arizona has the same thing. Women’s soccer gets its own stadium for their family to come to games while everyone else but the football and basketball teams squat wherever they can find space.
MLS potential? Or MLS II potential?
I think after NYC II expansion, a 2nd tier would be phenomenal.
Plus, I think it is way easier to reach some of these geographical areas when you are looking at smaller cities (like in the west, south). Not that Pheonix is a small city, but a 2nd Division has got to be coming.
Always good to have a professional presence in a market with solid MLS potential. Any idea if that surface is natural grass or turf? I can’t tell from the photo.
It’s grass. VERY nice stadium and field. With the extra seating going in, this will be a great venue for USL PRO teams.
ASU is the worst university in the US. It’s such a shame that they have to play at that dump known as Tempe. Peoria or Phoenix Municipal Stadium would have been much better choices.
Let me guess UofA alum?
Vince Young went to Texas.
Except those are baseball stadiums. At least this had a standard size pitch.
The real question is whether they’ll be able to sell beer.
I saw the press conference today and they said that they will be selling beer. Great news!
UA student here.
Tempe is a great place. Tons of stuff going on there, parking is available, and there’s also the fact that there is a suitable stadium made specifically for soccer. The highway system in Phoenix makes a trip to Tempe very fast too.
I also disagree with your ASU assessments. It’s one of the better junior colleges in the country.
lol
Lol, 41-34 you loser.
I could take you to task regarding your idiocy but I’ll let your recommendation of Peoria Sports Complex speak for itself.