Columbus Crew Stadium
Encyclopedia
Columbus Crew
Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium
in Columbus, Ohio
and the home stadium of Major League Soccer
club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer. The stadium present seats 20,145.
(MLS), the Columbus Crew commenced play at Ohio Stadium
in MLS's inaugural season of 1996. As it is principally an American football
stadium, the facility was never popular with the team or its fans. When renovations to the American football stadium forced the Crew out, their owner, oil billionaire Lamar Hunt
, decided to build the team its own dedicated home. Thus, Crew Stadium was born — purpose-built for the Columbus Crew
in the winter of 1998-99. The construction cost of $
28.5 million was covered entirely with private funds from Mr. Hunt and his Hunt Sports group.
The facility seats 20,455 (with room to expand to 30,000 total seats for concerts) and is located on the grounds of the Ohio
Expo Center and State Fairgrounds
. Columbus Crew Stadium opened on May 15, 1999 with a match between the home side and the New England Revolution
, with a seating capacity of 22,555. It is the first major league soccer-specific stadium
in the United States, and has been credited with inspiring the wave of construction of soccer-specific stadiums throughout the league.
In the 2010 Showcase issue of Stadia Magazine, Columbus Crew Stadium is considered the most influential stadium of the last decade stating " Who'd have thought when if opened in 1999 that Major League Soccer
first purpose-built stadium would kick-start the wave of dedicated soccer specific stadiums that continue today?"
and women's
national team matches (most notably, the 2001 World Cup Qualifier between the U.S. and Mexico known as La Guerra Fria due to sub-freezing temperatures), the 2001 MLS Cup championship
, the 2000 and 2005
MLS
All-Star Games
, the 2001 and 2003 NCAA
Men's College Cup national football
championships, and the 2003 Women’s World Cup
. It was the host stadium for the 2002 Major League Lacrosse championship game
. Crew stadium has also hosted games for the Ohio High School Athletic Association
State Championship tournaments in both American football
and soccer. It also hosts the annual Westerville
Football Classic, featuring the Westerville Central, Westerville North, Westerville South, and New Albany
football teams. It has also been host to the local high school football rivalry of powers Bishop Watterson High School and St. Francis DeSales High School. Crew stadium also hosted the first inaugural USA Sevens
Rugby
Collegiate Championship Invitational in June of 2010.
The stadium also hosts numerous concerts annually, including Rock on the Range
, an annual festival of performances by rock bands, and concerts by Rascal Flatts
to close out the Ohio State Fair
in 2006, 2007 and 2009. A permanent stage, built in 2008, has been constructed in the north end of the stadium to accommodate concerts after the closing of Germain Amphitheater
. The addition replaces about 2,100 seats in the north end for soccer games.
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and the home stadium of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer. The stadium present seats 20,145.
Origins
As a charter franchise in Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS), the Columbus Crew commenced play at Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
in MLS's inaugural season of 1996. As it is principally an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium, the facility was never popular with the team or its fans. When renovations to the American football stadium forced the Crew out, their owner, oil billionaire Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
, decided to build the team its own dedicated home. Thus, Crew Stadium was born — purpose-built for the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in the winter of 1998-99. The construction cost of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
28.5 million was covered entirely with private funds from Mr. Hunt and his Hunt Sports group.
The facility seats 20,455 (with room to expand to 30,000 total seats for concerts) and is located on the grounds of the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
Expo Center and State Fairgrounds
Ohio State Fair
The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the United States. In 2011 the attendance was 833,000, the fair's highest attendance since 2004. The state fair contributes as much as 280 million dollars to the state economy...
. Columbus Crew Stadium opened on May 15, 1999 with a match between the home side and the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, with a seating capacity of 22,555. It is the first major league soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
in the United States, and has been credited with inspiring the wave of construction of soccer-specific stadiums throughout the league.
In the 2010 Showcase issue of Stadia Magazine, Columbus Crew Stadium is considered the most influential stadium of the last decade stating " Who'd have thought when if opened in 1999 that Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
first purpose-built stadium would kick-start the wave of dedicated soccer specific stadiums that continue today?"
Events
In addition to hosting the Crew's home games, the stadium has hosted numerous United States men'sUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and women's
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
national team matches (most notably, the 2001 World Cup Qualifier between the U.S. and Mexico known as La Guerra Fria due to sub-freezing temperatures), the 2001 MLS Cup championship
MLS Cup 2001
The 2001 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The San Jose Earthquakes won their first title, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in overtime...
, the 2000 and 2005
MLS All-Star 2005
The 2005 Sierra Mist Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 10th MLS All-Star Game, played on July 30, 2005 at the Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio between the MLS All-Stars and Fulham of England...
MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
All-Star Games
Major League Soccer All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
, the 2001 and 2003 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Men's College Cup national football
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
championships, and the 2003 Women’s World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup 2003
The FIFA Women's World Cup 2003 was held in the United States and won by Germany. The tournament was originally scheduled for China. On May 3, 2003 the tournament was abruptly moved to the United States, as a result of the 2003 SARS outbreak in China...
. It was the host stadium for the 2002 Major League Lacrosse championship game
Steinfeld Cup
The Steinfeld Cup is the trophy given annually to the winners ofthe New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship. It is named after MLL founder Jake Steinfeld...
. Crew stadium has also hosted games for the Ohio High School Athletic Association
Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
State Championship tournaments in both American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and soccer. It also hosts the annual Westerville
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
Football Classic, featuring the Westerville Central, Westerville North, Westerville South, and New Albany
New Albany High School (Ohio)
New Albany High School is a public high school located in New Albany, Ohio, part of the New Albany-Plain Local School District. New Albany is a four-year comprehensive high school accredited by the Ohio Department of Education. It has been nationally recognized as a School of Excellence...
football teams. It has also been host to the local high school football rivalry of powers Bishop Watterson High School and St. Francis DeSales High School. Crew stadium also hosted the first inaugural USA Sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Collegiate Championship Invitational in June of 2010.
The stadium also hosts numerous concerts annually, including Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, an annual festival of performances by rock bands, and concerts by Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
to close out the Ohio State Fair
Ohio State Fair
The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the United States. In 2011 the attendance was 833,000, the fair's highest attendance since 2004. The state fair contributes as much as 280 million dollars to the state economy...
in 2006, 2007 and 2009. A permanent stage, built in 2008, has been constructed in the north end of the stadium to accommodate concerts after the closing of Germain Amphitheater
Germain Amphitheater
The Germain Amphitheater—renamed from the previous Polaris Amphitheater following a sponsorship deal with the Germain Motor Company in 2003—was a 20,000-seat outdoor entertainment venue located in Columbus, Ohio....
. The addition replaces about 2,100 seats in the north end for soccer games.
