Lexington SC Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. The stadium is home to Lexington SC's men's and women's teams, playing in the USL Championship[1] and the USL Super League, respectively. The stadium has a capacity of 7,500, with the ability to be expanded to 11,000 with renovations.[2][3][4]

History

Planning and previous iterations

Originally, the team had plans for a downtown stadium as a part of the Lexington Center Corporation's High Street Development Project.[5] The proposed location for the facility was in the heart of downtown, directly across the street from Central Bank Center[6] and Rupp Arena,[7] a multi-purpose venue that hosts the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, concerts, conventions, and shows. However, the team later withdrew this proposal and looked for other locations.[8]

It was later announced that the stadium would be built in its current location in October 2023, after a city council meeting voted to allow a zoning change to the area to allow for stadium construction.[9][10] The new stadium, part of a larger complex that will house the club's youth fields, was to be built off of Athens–Boonesboro Road near Interstate 75.[11][12]

Construction and opening

Construction took place between October 2023 to August 2024, being completed with a capacity of 7,500 but with the possibility of expansion to 11,000.[13][14]

The stadium opened on September 8, 2024, with a USL Super League match between Lexington SC Women and Tampa Bay Sun FC.[15] In the first match played in stadium history, the home team lost 3–2.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Lexington Sporting Club to join USL Championship for 2025 season". USL Championship. 2024-08-13. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  2. ^ "Stadium Info". Lexington Sporting Club. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  3. ^ "'We will be playing in August.' Lexington Sporting Club updates progress on new stadium".
  4. ^ Yang, Steph; Rueter, Jeff. "What we know about the USL Super League so far". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  5. ^ "Lexington Center Corporation requests proposals for High Street Development Project". WLEX. 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  6. ^ Lofton, Shelby (21 April 2022). "Business owners ready for increased foot traffic following the official opening of Central Bank Center". WKYT.
  7. ^ Lofton, Shelby (21 January 2022). "Lexington Pro Soccer releases renderings of proposed stadium". WSAZ.
  8. ^ Hedrick, Chad (21 June 2022). "Lexington Sporting Club plans to build complex off Newtown Pike". www.wymt.com. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  9. ^ "Lexington Sporting Club announces official plans for new stadium". Fox News 56. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  10. ^ Drummond, Cameron (2023-04-12). "Lexington Sporting Club looking at new location for soccer stadium that includes incentives". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  11. ^ Schick, Austin (2023-10-10). "Lexington Sporting Club selects site, unveils plans for stadium". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  12. ^ McGary, John (2023-10-12). "Plans unveiled for pro soccer stadium near I-75 for Lexington's men's and women's teams". The Lexington Times. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  13. ^ Makauskas, Caroline (2024-02-21). "'We will be playing in August.' Lexington Sporting Club updates progress on new stadium". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  14. ^ Drummond, Cameron (2024-09-09). "'It's an exciting day.' Lexington Sporting Club opens its new soccer-specific stadium". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  15. ^ "Tickets On Sale Today for Lexington Sporting Club Super League's Inaugural Home Match Against Tampa Bay Sun FC" (Press release). Lexington SC. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  16. ^ Medina, Ana (2024-09-09). "Lexington SC debuts new stadium in Super League match". WTVQ. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington_SC_Stadium
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