How does Lexington Sporting Club’s new soccer stadium compare to others in USL League One?
If all goes to plan, Central Kentucky will soon have a brand-new, soccer-specific stadium in place, just in time for the region’s only professional club to expand.
On Tuesday afternoon, Lexington Sporting Club announced it will build a soccer stadium off Athens Boonesboro Road, near Interstate 75 in Lexington.
The club already has seven training fields at that location.
The announcement marked the end of a nearly two-years-long stadium saga for LSC that saw the franchise consider several different locations for a permanent home. The club has played all of its home matches in USL League One (men’s senior team) and USL W-League (women’s pre-professional team) at Toyota Stadium in Georgetown, a 5,000-seat venue on the campus of Georgetown College.
The new stadium is planned to be completed in time for the club’s first season in the USL Super League, which begins play in August 2024. The USL Super League is a new professional women’s soccer league that intends to compete within the first division of American pro soccer.
But when the stadium does arrive, what will it look like? How many fans will it hold? What amenities will it have?
And how will it compare to other stadiums used by other teams of a similar stature around the country?
The Herald-Leader conducted phone interviews with several Lexington Sporting Club officials for insight into what this new venue will offer.
New LSC stadium to seat at least 5,000
LSC majority owner Bill Shively told the Herald-Leader the new stadium will be built in a “modular” fashion, and it will initially feature more than 5,000 seats with the ability to expand to 11,000.
Plans exist for the “modular” elements of the stadium to be replaced by permanent structures that will house things like LSC team offices and a training center.
A stadium name will be announced at a later date.
A distinct element of the Athens Boonesboro Road location for the LSC stadium is the fact it will be adjacent to seven training fields already used by the club, which are set to host tournaments and other events.
This means the youth and pro soccer elements of Lexington Sporting Club will become further intertwined.
“The location is just going to lend itself to an exciting campus feel,” said Michelle Rayner, LSC’s women’s sporting director. “Because you’ve got the youth club component right there, you’re going to have the stadium, you’re going to have the training center that will be over to house the pro men’s and women’s teams. ... It’s going to encompass everything.”
Additionally, the timeline for the stadium’s opening aligns with the start of professional women’s soccer in Lexington.
The USL Super League will feature the following initial markets for its 2024 debut season: Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Lexington, Phoenix, Spokane (Washington), Tampa, Tucson (Arizona) and Washington D.C.
“I think the stadium itself is crucial for long-term success for our club,” Rayner said. “I think people will see and recognize ... just the value that this is going to bring to Lexington, and that the ownership is 100% behind everything that we’re doing, both for the girls and the boys at our club.”
Additionally, teams from the following markets will join the USL Super League in future seasons, pending completion of their own stadium projects: Chattanooga (Tennessee), Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison (Wisconsin) and Oakland (California).
“What’s really cool is that we’re bringing Lexington on a national stage,” said Stephen Dawahare, another member of LSC ownership. “You can go now on Watch ESPN and it’s Lexington Sporting Club that’s competing. ... On the women’s side, these are all really big markets.”
Based on the current planned timeline, LSC’s senior men’s team will begin its second season in USL League One — the third tier of American men’s pro soccer — at Toyota Stadium, before shifting to the new stadium during the season.
“Just for a 7-, 8-, 9-year-old boy or girl to be able to be training at the complex and look across the parking lot and see the stadium and really the end goal of where you’re trying to get ... is just very, very humbling,” added Sam Stockley, LSC’s men’s sporting director and the former head coach of the LSC senior men’s team.
How will Lexington Sporting Club’s stadium compare to others?
Let’s take a look at how the planned LSC stadium compares to the other stadiums used during the 2023 USL League One season.
CENTRAL VALLEY FUEGO FC
Location: Fresno, California.
Stadium: Fresno State Soccer Stadium.
Capacity: 1,000.
Notes: The facility opened in 2011 and is also the home of the Fresno State women’s soccer team.
CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina.
Stadium: American Legion Memorial Stadium.
Capacity: 10,500.
Notes: Prior to the opening of Bank of America Stadium (home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers) in 1996, American Legion Memorial Stadium was the largest outdoor stadium in Charlotte. The stadium opened in 1936, but has been renovated several times since.
CHATTANOOGA RED WOLVES SC
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Stadium: CHI Memorial Stadium.
Capacity: 2,500.
Notes: Chattanooga plays at the first soccer-specific stadium in the state of Tennessee. The stadium will host the NCAA Division II men’s and women’s soccer championships in 2023 and 2024.
FORWARD MADISON FC
Location: Madison, Wisconsin.
Stadium: Breese Stevens Field.
Capacity: 5,000.
Notes: Opened in 1926, the venue was the site of the first night baseball game in Wisconsin in 1930. Before Forward Madison’s debut season in 2019, Breese Stevens Field received significant upgrades.
GREENVILLE TRIUMPH SC
Location: Greenville, South Carolina.
Stadium: Paladin Stadium.
Capacity: 16,000.
Notes: Greenville Triumph is making progress toward its own multi-use stadium, and in the meantime is playing home matches at Paladin Stadium, which is the home venue for the Furman University football team.
NORTHERN COLORADO HAILSTORM FC
Location: Windsor, Colorado.
Stadium: TicketSmarter Stadium at Future Legends Complex.
Capacity: 6,500.
Notes: The stadium is part of a more than 100-acre sports complex that saw significant delays in its construction and opening. The available capacity of TicketSmarter Stadium has also been affected by these delays.
NORTH CAROLINA FC
Location: Cary, North Carolina.
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park.
Capacity: 10,000.
Notes: WakeMed Soccer Park has hosted the NCAA Division I College Cup for both men’s soccer and women’s soccer. In December, this year’s men’s College Cup will take place at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, while the women’s College Cup will again be held at WakeMed Soccer Park.
ONE KNOXVILLE SC
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee.
Stadium: Regal Soccer Stadium.
Capacity: 3,000.
Notes: The venue is also home to the University of Tennessee women’s soccer team. In June, construction began on a $114 million stadium in Knoxville that would be the home of One Knoxville SC, as well as other sports teams in the area including the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A baseball affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
The new stadium is expected to open in March 2025.
RICHMOND KICKERS
Location: Richmond, Virginia.
Stadium: City Stadium.
Capacity: 6,000.
Notes: Opened in 1929 and featuring a grass playing surface, City Stadium features a distinct circular seating bowl. The venue has been the home of the Richmond Kickers since 1995.
SOUTH GEORGIA TORMENTA FC
Location: Statesboro, Georgia.
Stadium: Optim Sports Medicine Field at Tormenta Stadium.
Capacity: 3,500.
Notes: Once it’s completed, Tormenta Stadium will be able to seat 5,300 fans with the ability to expand to a capacity of up to 14,000 seats. It is a soccer-specific venue, but also hosts other events like concerts.
UNION OMAHA
Location: Omaha, Nebraska.
Stadium: Werner Park.
Capacity: 9,434.
Notes: Werner Park is primarily a minor league baseball stadium that is the home of the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The stadium has 6,434 permanent seats and grass berm seating for approximately 3,000 people.
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