http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/20121101asu-cubs-deal-mesa-stadium-dead-brk.html Looks like the A's will move into the vacated HoHoKam and ASU will move into Muni. A's won't move until 2015, and I don't know when, exactly, ASU would want to/have to move from Packard Stadium. So PHXFC could conceivably play there in 2013, but long term might be difficult.
ASU had better not ask the city to upgrade the stadium. Sounds like they had a sweet deal at Wrigleyville and bit their nose off to spite their face...
Obviously it wasn't a sweet enough deal. And if the A's leave Muni, the city will have exactly one team within its city limits. They'll have to do something with Muni at some point.
More info on ASU's move to Muni : http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarep...9/20121109phoenix-asu-talks-for-ballpark.html It looks like it's not a done deal but, it most likely will happen... Not sure how long the negotiations will take and, not sure if PHXFC will wait until ASU/Phoenix negotiations are over to make a decision. Actually, I don't even know who PHXFC is considering and/or talking to in regards to a stadium and what the state of those negotiations is.
ASU proceeded with the deal exactly as it was originally agreed in principle. The Cubs did not, and initiated a power grab that has ultimately resulted in the disruption of two local sports teams--one of which has won five more championships than the Cubs in the past hundred years, and one of which has won the same number of them. Really unfortunate situation and I hope the Wolves can get something figured out.
Obviously, they didn't feel they did. You never know what a deal really is based on what it appears to be, when you haven't seen the contract itself. ASU obviously felt it wasn't a sweet deal. As for the City, if the A's leave, Phoenix will have exactly one spring baseball tenant (the Brewers). Getting ASU baseball might be worth a bit of work to Muni. Especially since the folks in Tucson had great success moving into a former spring stadium.
So still no word on where Phoenix FC will play? I hope they get it right, by which I mean a decent stadium in which to watch soccer, and a financial deal that will not kill them. Oh, and it needs to be central enough that they can draw some fans. Good luck. - Mark
Kenn, I don't live there, I don't know the city well, and thus I have no suggestions at all. I just hope that this works out for them. There may not be a stadium that meets all of my pie in the sky requirements. I don't know. It's not my town. I was attempting to express support, as opposed to promoting a specific stadium. But still no word, eh? I thought they were supposed to make an announcement soon? - Mark
They were supposed to last week, but it was apparently postponed. Our problem here - as has been noted on more than one occasion - is that we have a series of possible homes that are varying degrees of meh. If you like soccer in a baseball stadium, you could consider most of those options to be "decent," but it's still going to be soccer in a baseball stadium, and probably not even as well set-up as in St. Petersburg, where at least they took the infield out. I don't believe they'll be able to do that at any of the potential baseball options here because of the cost and the fact that getting grass to thrive here in the summer is an (expensive) issue. Muni has the advantage of familiarity, proximity to public transportation, ample parking and (for now) no other spring/summer tenant. Tempe Diablo is closer to the Valley's actual population center and is pretty easily accessible off the interstate. Both stadiums have a few years on them, though I believe Diablo was renovated more recently. Peoria Sports Complex is one of the newer ones (built in 1994, I think), but its location in the Northwest Valley may not be optimal - perceived or otherwise - for a lot of folks. Having been to Salt River Fields not long ago, I became convinced that would be a very nice venue to have - but it's still a baseball stadium. It's also off the interstate, but north-northeast. Very new home of the Diamondbacks and Rockies in the spring, and they use it a lot for other events. But, again, it's still a baseball stadium. ASU's soccer stadium we've been over (too small, almost no parking, college campus), Sun Devil Stadium (too big, college campus) isn't an option, Chase Field (too expensive, baseball stadium, though downtown location) isn't an option, U of P Stadium (waaaaaaaaay too big, deathly atmosphere unless there are 16-17k in there, Cardinals as landlords) isn't an option. (At least, none of these are realistic options I would choose, which is not to say someone wouldn't get a burr up their butt to do it.) So then you have high school or junior college football stadiums or Grand Canyon University (small facility, not a lot of parking that I remember, college campus, but centrally located more or less). None of them make you go, "Oh, yeah, great option." We've been led to believe they have made their choice, which is fine. I can't imagine whatever is announced will be met with many cheers past the obvious relief of having that settled.
Still no word from the guys at PFC. Delayed their last official announcement 11/28/12, on to the next unannounced date. Hard to believe they've finalized anything (or even come close) based on this.
That is the direction in which I am headed. I will remain optimistic but will believe it when I see it.
Kenn - Thanks for the recap. Sounds like one of these might be the most practical. Don't GCU have a decent soccer program? The Timbers picked up a player from GCU back in '05 or '06 from them and he was pretty decent. But if it's out of the way or not big enough or whatever (probably no beer sales?), it seems that Muni, Diablo, or Peoria might be your best bets (even if sub-optimal). This is more than likely. Short of: "We're going to buy a existing stadium outright and covert it to an SSS because we are absolutely made of money," you're not going to get a super great deal. I've been to soccer games in really weak stadia and thought it was OK, or at least workable. So my standards are low enough for USLPro. They need a stadium that is workable, and for enough people to show up, and enough sponsors to pony up that they don't go broke. I'm hopeful, but again, I don't live there, and therefore don't know enough of the local scene that my opinion counts for much. I'm just hoping that this works out. - Mark
If the seasons don't overlap, and if PFC paid rent (to a for-profit institution, no less), why wouldn't they want to "share?" That's insane.
I'm pretty sure the seasons do overlap. USL Preseason starts early February and with the added teams, playoffs should run into September.
I don't believe any USL Pro teams have gone to camp in early February, given they don't start playing until early April. Regardless, that's not an overlap. The last two years, the USL Pro playoffs have been over by early September. If there's overlap, it's very slight at the tail end of the regular season. GCU usually has a four-team tournament at home on Labor Day weekend. That's it. And...again...for-profit institution. Rent. There ARE good reasons not to choose GCU's field, but none of them are "GCU is going to be Arizona's first Male Soccer D1 program, not sure they'd want to share."
Not quite zero, but not a lot. We're not really thinking GCU is going to all of a sudden join the WAC (tee hee) and become this powerhouse that can look down their noses at people, are we?
had to create a new account for anonymity. The stadium has already been picked. I'll say this: You guys have said it on this page, and it is going to go through modification to get it ready for this coming season. It will seat somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000.
And to answer your questions about overlapping seasons, the league starts either late march or early april, and the final is in the first week of Sept. College soccer is not a spring sport. Most D1 teams have an extensive spring season, but with a professional team training and playing at their facilities, they will just schedule matches away during that month of overlap in the spring season. Any college coach would be a ********ing moron to lobby against a professional team training and playing at their facilities. 1) it sheds bad light on him putting players through to that pro team when the relationship is sour, and 2) it is great for their players to be able to see first hand a pro atmosphere, and will boost any team to play better when they know pro players and coaches are about.
I just quickly tried to find a stadium chart for FC Dallas Stadium with numbers of seats but couldn't find anything. Which side is the away side? Opposite the side with suites and pres box?