The local press is absolutely beaming about Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the Colorado Rapids new home in Commerce City, which officially opens its doors on Saturday when the Rapids host D.C. United in the MLS season opener, broadcast live on ABC at 1:30 PM EST.
Kroenke Sports Enterprises raised $71 million for the project, which many felt was a considerable gamble given the Rapids’ poor attendance figure last season. However, the Denver Post reports that Kroenke’s gamble is already paying off, as season ticket sales are already “three times ahead of last year” when the team played at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. The 18,000-capacity stadium is projected to sell out for Saturday’s MLS opener; KSE executives are quite happy, so far. “We see soccer as a sport that is just on the edge of explosion in the U.S,” said Paul Andrews, executive vice president of Kroenke Sports.
The new stadium is also just plain good business. “The MLS teams that have their own stadiums can better control their finances — the signage, the sponsorships,” said Mike Rock, general manager of the facility. “And we can improve the fan experience, make it more intimate and exciting.” Dick’s Sporting Goods, the stadium’s sponsor, agreed to pay a hefty $40 million over 20 years for naming rights to the stadium. The Post article also includes many more facts and figures about the new stadium.