Phoenix Rising cites uncertainty regarding stadium in letter to season-ticket holders
In a letter to season ticket holders earlier this week, Phoenix Rising expressed uncertainty regarding its stadium situation for next year.
“We are still working on a solution to provide a better match-day experience in 2023,” the letter said. “We don’t have an update on the team’s location at this time, but as soon as we can communicate where we’re playing in 2023, we will let you know.”
Fans who have not yet opted into season ticket renewal for next year do not have to make a decision as to whether or not they will do so until the stadium situation is resolved, the club said.
There has been speculation regarding uncertainty about the stadium situation since mid-summer, but the note to fans indicates elevated concern.
Rising moved into Phoenix Rising FC Stadium at Wild Horse Pass in 2021, on the Gila River Indian Community west of Interstate 10 in the Southeast Valley.
MORE: What went wrong in Rising's disastrous 2022 season?
The facility holds 10,000 fans, has stands on all four sides and features a large fan zone next to the south end. All three of those features have drawn generally positive reviews from fans in comparison to Casino Arizona Field, which only held 6,200 fans at a location just west of the Loop 101 and Loop 202 interchange in Tempe.
However, the location on the Gila River Indian Community has been criticized for being far from much of the fan base compared to the old site, which was at the south end of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Commmunity.
Gila River Indian Community has switched to new management since Rising initially moved to Wild Horse Pass. Earlier this season, general manager Bobby Dulle alluded to the management change as part of the reason for the newfound uncertainty. Gila River Indian Community did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a July interview with The Republic, owner Bill Kraus expressed a desire to stay at Wild Horse Pass. Kraus declined an additional interview to discuss the stadium situation this week.
“It's a tricky one,” Kraus said in July. “For now, we play at Wild Horse Pass. When we went there, we expected to be there for a number of years. If you asked me right now, today, I'd say we'll be there again next year. But we're also keeping our options open. You never know. Not much more I can say.”
Theo Mackie covers Arizona high school sports and Phoenix Rising FC. He can be reached by email at theo.mackie@gannett.com and on Twitter @theo_mackie.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Rising express stadium uncertainty in letter to fans
