Toyota_Stadium_(Texas)

Toyota Stadium (Texas)

Toyota Stadium (Texas)

Soccer stadium in Texas


Toyota Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium located in Frisco, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, United States. Built and owned by the city of Frisco, the 20,500-seat stadium opened in 2005. Its primary tenants are Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and the Frisco Independent School District, which supported the construction to host their high school football games. It also hosts the annual NCAA Division I Football Championship, the title game of college football's Football Championship Subdivision, and the annual Frisco Bowl.

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Additionally, it is the home of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, which opened in 2018.[5]

History

Toyota Stadium was the third MLS soccer-specific stadium to be built after Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (1999) and Dignity Health Sports Park near Los Angeles (2003). It cost approximately $80 million and opened on August 6, 2005, with a match between FC Dallas and the MetroStars, which ended in a 2–2 draw. The stadium seats 20,500 in a U-shaped design with the north end including a permanent covered stage for hosting concerts, similar to SeatGeek Stadium near Chicago, which opened one year after Toyota Stadium. Although it was then hoped the permanent stage would help the stadium increase revenue by hosting mid-sized concerts, the design proved unpopular and other MLS clubs rejected building permanent stages in their new stadiums, leaving the stadium's design looking dated. There is widespread support among club fans for the stage to be removed and replaced with a full stand in a future renovation. The stadium includes 18 luxury suites as well as a private 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) stadium club.

The stadium played host to the 2005 MLS Cup final, seeing the LA Galaxy defeat the New England Revolution 1–0 in extra time for their second MLS Cup. It was also selected to host the 2006 MLS Cup, which ended 1–1 after overtime with the Houston Dynamo defeating the New England Revolution 4–3 on penalty kicks. In 2016, FC Dallas hosted and won the U.S. Open Cup Final, also against the Revolution.

In 2018 construction was completed on an extensive $55 million renovation of the south end of the stadium, with the primary goal of creating a new space for the National Soccer Hall of Fame.[6] The renovation also included a European-style roof built over the new multi-tiered stand that replaced the old bleacher section, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Club located on the second tier, the third tier season ticket member seating area, new locker rooms, patio, store, entrance, box office and press conference area. Although many club supporters wanted roof structures to be built over the west and east stands to provide shade during the brutal Texas summers, those projects were postponed until a future phase of renovation.

During the pregame ceremony for a match between FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids at the stadium on October 4, 2023, two people were injured as a storm developed over it. An 8-year-old child was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while another spectator was struck by an "O" that broke off the Toyota signage on the north concourse and flew across the stadium. The match itself was ultimately postponed due to the inclement weather.[7]

Complex

The complex also has an additional 17 regulation size, stadium-quality soccer fields (both grass and artificial turf) outside the main stadium. These fields are used for practice by FC Dallas, matches for the FC Dallas reserve squad, and for hosting soccer tournaments. Youth tournaments that have made use of the complex include Dallas Cup, Olympic Development Program National Championships, Generation adidas Cup,[8] USYSA National Championships, and MLS Next Cup.

Stadium name

From 2005 until January 2012, the naming rights to the facility were held by national pizza chain Pizza Hut, which is headquartered in nearby Plano, and the stadium was known as Pizza Hut Park. Nicknames for Pizza Hut Park included PHP, the Hut, and The Oven, the latter referring to Texas' summer climate during afternoon games (and also because the field is well below ground level). On January 7, 2012, the contract linking the pizza franchise with the stadium expired, and the stadium was renamed FC Dallas Stadium.[9]

On September 10, 2013, FC Dallas reached an agreement with Gulf States Toyota Distributors, headquartered in Houston, to rename its home field Toyota Stadium. The 17 practice fields around the stadium would be known as Toyota Soccer Center.[10][11]

National Soccer Hall of Fame

In 2015, plans were announced that the stadium would be the new home of the National Soccer Hall of Fame (NSHOF). In addition to the NSHOF museum, the stadium's south end received extensive renovations and the entire project cost $55 million and was completed in 2018. The Hall of Fame has two components – the NSHOF Experience and the NSHOF Club. The Experience houses the museum and serves as the location for the Hall of Fame annual induction ceremony. The Club includes specialty seating for season ticket holders for all FC Dallas home matches, as well as multiple event spaces that function as food and beverage hubs on game days. The NSHOF includes soccer memorabilia, modern technology, and virtual reality exhibits.[12]

Notable events

College football

2015 FCS National Championship football game between North Dakota State and Jacksonville State at Toyota Stadium.

Soccer

Concerts

In August 2008, the stadium hosted the heavy metal/hard rock festival tour Ozzfest.[citation needed] It has regularly hosted concerts by Jimmy Buffett. It was also the site for several editions of Edgefest organized by former Dallas alternative rock station KDGE.[citation needed]

Notable concerts

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Dr. Pink Field

North of the main stadium is Dr. Pink Field, a mini-stadium named after former Frisco doctor Dr. Erwin G. Pink.[32] The field is used for Frisco ISD high school football and soccer.

Dr. Pink Field formerly hosted games for the Frisco Griffins Rugby Club.[33] The Griffins drew an attendance of a few hundred people per game.[34]

See also


References

  1. "About Toyota Stadium". FC Dallas. August 6, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  2. "About Toyota Stadium". F.C. Dallas. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  3. "Lee Lewis Construction, Inc. – About Us". Leelewis.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  4. "National Soccer Hall of Fame". National Soccer Hall of Fame.
  5. "FC Dallas, Rapids MLS match postponed as fans reportedly injured in inclement weather". The Dallas Morning News. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  6. Baum, Carter (March 9, 2018). "Generation adidas Cup Returns to Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco on March 23". FC Dallas. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  7. Wilonsky, Robert (December 21, 2011). "Pizza Hut Pulls Its Slice Out of Pizza Hut Park". Dallas Observer. Unfair Park blog. Archived from the original on March 24, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  8. "FC Dallas announce new naming-rights partner as their home becomes Toyota Stadium". MLSsoccer.com. September 10, 2013. Archived from the original on September 13, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  9. "FC Dallas announces Toyota as official stadium naming rights partner". September 10, 2013. Archived from the original on September 10, 2013.
  10. "The National Soccer Hall of Fame is here!". The National Soccer Hall of Fame is here!.
  11. Caplan, Jeff (February 26, 2010). "20 teams to compete for FCS crown". ESPNDallas.com. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
  12. "Hawai'i Accepts Invite To 2020 New Mexico Bowl". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  13. Russo, Ralh D. (December 3, 2021). "NCAA approves late addition to bowl lineup, 42nd game". Houston Chronicle. AP. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  14. "Inter Milan". Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  15. "Record Setting Crowd at FC Dallas against LA Galaxy". F.C. Dallas. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  16. "Pink Field Dedicated (January, 2006)". Friscoisd.org. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  17. "Official Website of Griffins Rugby". Griffinsrugby.com. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  18. "Frisco conquering Texas DII". Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
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