Dick's Sporting Goods Park
| Dick's Sporting Goods Park | |
|---|---|
| DSG Park, Dick's | |
  |
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| Location | 6000 Victory Way Commerce City, CO 80022-4203 |
| Coordinates | 39°48′20″N 104°53′31″W / 39.80556°N 104.89194°WCoordinates: 39°48′20″N 104°53′31″W / 39.80556°N 104.89194°W |
| Broke ground | September 28, 2005 |
| Opened | April 7, 2007 |
| Owner | Commerce City |
| Operator | Kroenke Sports Enterprises |
| Surface | Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Construction cost | $131 million USD (estimate) ($139 million in 2012 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | HOK Sport[2] |
| Project Manager | Icon Venue Group[2] |
| General Contractor | Turner Construction[2] |
| Capacity | 18,713 (seating)[3] 19,680 (with standing room) 26,000 (concert) |
| Field dimensions | 120 yds long x 75 yds |
| Tenants | |
| Colorado Rapids (MLS) (2007-present) Denver Barbarians (RSL) (2010-present) Denver Dream (LFL) (2009) |
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Dick's Sporting Goods Park, often referred to as "The Dick",[4] is a soccer-specific stadium located in Commerce City, Colorado, home to the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team.
The stadium can seat up to 18,086 people, but may accommodate up to 26,000 for certain events and is built on over 360 acres (1.5 km²) of land. Also included at the venue are youth soccer fields (24 fully lit professional fields, two of which are year-round artificial grass fields), retail development, and a new Commerce City civic center.
The stadium is owned by Commerce City and operated by Kroenke Sports Enterprises (KSE) who also own the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Crush and the Colorado Mammoth, and who is a co-owner of English Premier League club Arsenal F.C. via subsidiary. The estimated cost of this project was $131 million, with investment shared equally between the city and KSE.[5]
The first game at the new stadium was played between members of the Colorado Rapids on April 4, 2007. The event was open only to Commerce City residents and season ticket holders. The first official match was played against DC United on April 7, 2007.[6]
The complex is close to Denver's former Stapleton International Airport and is bordered on the north and east by the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, to the south by 56th Avenue, and to the west by Quebec Street.
In the stadium's inaugural year, it hosted the 2007 MLS All-Star Game with a sell-out crowd in attendance. More recently, the venue grounds have hosted the Mile High Music Festival in July 2008, and the soccer pitch hosted a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between USA and Guatemala on November 19, 2008.
In 2008 the complex hosted the first Mile High Music Festival, which saw attendance at approximately 40,000 people each day over the course of two days. By utilizing the open soccer fields surrounding the stadium and additional stages throughout the complex, the complex's total capactity was able to greatly exceed what the stadium could hold alone.
In 2009 it hosted the Rugby union 2009 Churchill Cup finals.
In May 2009 it hosted the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association National Championships with the Michigan Wolverines defeating Chapman University 12-11 in overtime on the Division I side and University of St. Thomas beating the University of Dayton 16-11 in Division II. The MCLA oversees game play and conducts "virtual varsity" national championships for over 200 teams in ten conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Some of the other notable teams invited to the Nationals were Florida State University, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, Boston College, Sonoma State and the University of Colorado. The Park is scheduled to host the Championships through the 2011 season.
It hosted Phish for a three night run of concerts on September 2, 3, and 4, 2011. Phish Summer Tour 2011. The three day run was marred by the death (cause yet undetermined) of a young man in the on-site camping grounds the morning of 9/4/2011.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ a b c Tripp Mickle & Don Muret (21 May 2007). "Site makes right for 2 newest MLS stadiums". Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2007/05/20070521/This-Weeks-News/Site-Makes-Right-For-2-Newest-MLS-Stadiums.aspx. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ http://www.dickssportinggoodspark.com/Stadium/NewsDetails.aspx?NID=73
- ^ Reidy, John. "I love the smell of napalm and soccer in the morning". AV Club. AV Club. http://www.avclub.com/denver/articles/i-love-the-smell-of-napalm-and-soccer-in-the-morni,25581/. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
- ^ Dick's Sporting Goods Park. "Stadium FAQs". http://www.dickssportinggoodspark.com/Stadium/FAQs.aspx. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ Dick's Sporting Goods Park. "Stadium Opening". http://www.dickssportinggoodspark.com/Stadium/NewsDetails.aspx?NID=28. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ Denver Post. "Death During Phish Run.". http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_18826585. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
[edit] External links
- Colorado Rapids official website
- Dick's Sporting Goods Park official site
- Class VI seating club @ the stadium
- MCLA College Championships
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Invesco Field at Mile High |
Home of the Colorado Rapids 2007 – present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Texas Stadium |
Host of the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association Championships 2009 – present |
Succeeded by Sirrine Stadium |
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