The USA World Cup bid committee contacted 70 different venues across the United States as potential sites for the USA bids for World Cups 2018 and 2022.
Some familiar soccer-friendly venues, such as Soldier Field, Gillette Stadium and RFK Stadium, and some stadiums still being built, such as Cowboys Stadium and Meadowlands Stadium, were among the 70 sites contacted by the USA bid committee.
As you might expect, the list includes some intriguing markets, such as Fayetteville, Arkansas and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Basically, the list includes every major college football and NFL stadium in the country.
Here is the complete list of venues contacted by the USA bid committee:
Potential venues for USA World Cup 2018 or 2022
|
Metro Market |
Stadium | Location |
| Atlanta, Ga. | Georgia Dome | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Atlanta, Ga. | Sanford Stadium | Athens, Ga. |
| Austin, Texas | Royal Texas Memorial Stadium | Austin, Texas |
| Baltimore, Md. | M&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Md. |
| Baton Rouge, La. | Tiger Stadium | Baton Rouge, La. |
| Birmingham, Ala. | Legion Field | Birmingham, Ala. |
| Birmingham, Ala. | Bryant-Denny Stadium | Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| Boston, Mass. | Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass. |
| Buffalo, N.Y. | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Orchard Park, N.Y. |
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Kinnick Stadium | Iowa City, Iowa |
| Champaign, Ill. | Memorial Stadium | Champaign, Ill. |
| Charlotte, N.C. | Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte, N.C. |
| Chicago, Ill. | Soldier Field | Chicago, Ill. |
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Paul Brown Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Columbia, Mo. | Faurot Field | Columbia, Mo. |
| Columbia, S.C. | Williams-Brice Stadium | Columbia, S.C. |
| Columbus, Ga. | Jordan-Hare Stadium | Auburn, Ala. |
| Columbus, Ohio | Ohio Stadium | Columbus, Ohio |
| Dallas, Texas | Cotton Bowl | Dallas, Texas |
| Dallas, Texas | Dallas Cowboys New Stadium | Arlington, Texas |
| Denver, Colo. | Invesco Field | Denver, Colo. |
| Detroit, Mich. | University of Michigan Stadium | Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Detroit, Mich. | Ford Field | Detroit, Mich. |
| Detroit, Mich. | Spartan Stadium | East Lansing, Mich. |
| Fayetteville, Ark. | Reynolds Razorback Stadium | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Green Bay, Wis. | Lambeau Field | Green Bay, Wis. |
| Greenville, S.C. | Memorial Stadium | Clemson, S.C. |
| Harrisburg, Pa. | Beaver Stadium | University Park, Pa. |
| Houston, Texas | Reliant Stadium | Houston, Texas |
| Houston, Texas | Rice Stadium | Houston, Texas |
| Houston, Texas | Kyle Field | College Station, Texas |
| Indianapolis, Ind. | Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Jacksonville, Fla. | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium | Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Jacksonville, Fla. | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Gainesville, Fla. |
| Kansas City, Mo. | Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Mo. |
| Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Lexington, Ky. | Commonwealth Stadium | Lexington, Ky. |
| Los Angeles, Calif. | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Los Angeles, Calif. | Rose Bowl | Pasadena, Calif. |
| Madison, Wis. | Camp Randall Stadium | Madison, Wis. |
| Miami, Fla. | Dolphin Stadium | Miami Gardens, Fla. |
| Minneapolis, Minn. | TCF Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Minneapolis, Minn. | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Nashville, Tenn. | LP Field | Nashville, Tenn. |
| New Haven, Conn. | Yale Bowl | New Haven, Conn. |
| New Orleans, La. | Superdome | New Orleans, La. |
| New York, N.Y. | Meadowlands Stadium | East Rutherford, N.J. |
| Oklahoma City, Okla. | Oklahoma Memorial Stadium | Norman, Okla. |
| Omaha, Neb. | Memorial StadUium | Lincoln, Neb. |
| Orlando, Fla. | Florida Citrus Bowl | Orlando, Fla. |
| Philadelphia, Pa. | Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Phoenix, Ariz. | University of Phoenix Stadium | Glendale, Ariz. |
| Phoenix, Ariz. | Sun Devil Stadium | Tempe, Ariz. |
| Pittsburgh, Pa. | Heinz Field | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Roanoke, Va. | Lane Stadium | Blacksburg, Va. |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | LaVell Edwards Stadium | Provo, Utah |
| San Antonio, Texas | Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas |
| San Diego, Calif. | Qualcomm Stadium | San Diego, Calif. |
| San Fran/Oakland, Calif. | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | Oakland, Calif. |
| San Fran/Oakland, Calif. | Stanford Stadium | Stanford, Calif. |
| San Fran/Oakland, Calif. | California Memorial Stadium | Berkeley, Calif. |
| Seattle, Wash. | Qwest Field | Seattle, Wash. |
| Seattle, Wash. | Husky Stadium | Seattle, Wash. |
| South Bend, Ind. | Notre Dame Stadium | Notre Dame, Ind. |
| St. Louis, Mo. | Edward Jones Dome | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Tallahassee, Fla. | Doak Campbell Stadium | Tallahassee, Fla. |
| Tampa, Fla. | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa, Fla. |
| Washington, D.C. | RFK Memorial Stadium | Washington, D.C. |
| Washington, D.C. | FedEx Field | Landover, Md. |
The U.S. bid committee has set an April 17th deadline for the officials from the 70 venues to express interest in joining the bids.
The FIFA deadline for nations to submit World Cup bids is May, 2010. With Europe looking like a safe bet to be awarded World Cup 2018, the United States appears a more realistic option in 2022.
What do you think of this list? Any venues that surprised you? Any venues missing that you think should be on the list? Where would you play the World Cup if you could pick the venues?
Share your thoughts below.