Soccer-specific stadium

History

In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, first-division professional soccer leagues in the United States, such as the North American Soccer League and Major League Soccer, primarily used American football stadiums, 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.

The term "soccer-specific stadium" was coined by Lamar Hunt, who financed the construction of Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium constructed specifically for Major League Soccer. 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. 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)

Current MLS soccer-specific stadiums

Under construction

Proposed MLS soccer-specific stadiums

National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)

Current NWSL soccer-specific stadiums

United Soccer League (USL)

Current USL Pro soccer-specific stadiums

All USL Championship teams and USL League One teams have been required to play in self-owned, soccer-specific stadiums by the 2025 season. The following is a list of current USL stadiums, including the women's professional league USL Super League, that are soccer-specific stadiums:

Stadiums under construction

Proposed USL soccer-specific stadiums

NCAA (Division I)

Other soccer-specific stadiums

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 association 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. 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.

In Australia, the term has much the same meaning as 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.

Notes

References

References

1. 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". Capella University.
2. "Laws of the Game 2010/2011". FIFA.
3. Fox Sports. (September 10, 2014). "USWNT stars not backing down on artificial playing surface stance". FOX Sports.
4. Andrews, Phil. (December 31, 2005). "Philadelphia's Field of Dreams: MLS' Newest Home". [[Bleacher Report]].
5. (May 12, 2012). "M.L.S. Continues to Bolster Growing Brand With New Stadium in Houston". [[The New York Times]].
6. Schrotenboer, Brent. (January 12, 2017). "Chargers plan to play in smallest 'NFL stadium' for next two seasons". [[USA Today]].
7. Hastings, Rob. (January 24, 2017). "Spurs are starting a stadium design revolution in Tottenham". iNews.
8. Arace, Michael. (September 10, 2013). "Michael Arace commentary: Aging Crew Stadium still has a big advantage". [[The Columbus Dispatch]].
9. Granillo, Larry. (September 14, 2009). "Football, Baseball, and the Era of the "Superstadium"". Wezen-Ball.
10. (August 2, 2013). "BMO Field". The Stadium Guide.
11. (December 23, 2009). "Exclusive: We will beat Olympic Stadium claim Tottenham". insidethegames.biz.
12. (September 10, 2020). "Buenos Aires: Symbolic revamp at El Monumental". StadiumDB.com.
13. (November 21, 2011). "Luxembourg: Only stadium with running track to be demolished?". StadiumDB.com.