The Stadium Rundown - Jan 30th Edition

We're back with another edition of The Stadium Rundown! This week, we check back in with the New York Islanders and them returning to the Nassau Coliseum?! Next, we'll visit the crossroads of America as Lucas Oil Stadium gets a new tenant. Finally, David Beckham's Miami based MLS club is official...mostly!

Nassau Coliseum

                       

Back to Nassau...Source

HOLY CRAP! The Islanders are returning to the Nassau Coliseum....for 12 games next season.

Let's be honest here. The Nassau Coliseum was an aging dump and the Islanders were right to move out of there. However, after a few relatively unsuccessful years in Brooklyn, the Islanders are planning to move to Belmont Park, back on Long Island. In the meantime, the Coliseum went through its own renovation, but it was determined by both the NHL and the Islanders ownership that it's ok as a temporary home, but it lacks the necessary amenities (corporate suites...) for the Islanders to make it its permanent home again. It seems unlikely that the league and the club will ever change their minds here, but if the Belmont Park project falls through, they may not have a choice.

They could continue to alienate their Long Island fanbase and stick around in Brooklyn.....nah.

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Lucas Oil Stadium

                       

Lucas Oil Stadium - Home of Football and Football?

Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts and the Indy Eleven soccer team of the United Soccer League (USL)?  Yes, it's true! It was confirmed today that the soccer team will be moving from IUPUI's Carroll Stadium (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis - Say that three times fast) over to Lucas Oil Stadium. The popularity of soccer in the US is definitely on the rise (especially with the 18-34-year-old market) thanks to more exposure from the best leagues in the world in Europe, regular tv contracts for Major League Soccer, and the community-grown feel of the USL.

The Indy Eleven are consistently selling out their 9000 seat venue, and the lower bowl increase their seating capacity up to 18,000 people. Coincidentally, that's about the number of people they're looking to bring in per game for your typical Major League Soccer game. It's well documented that Indianapolis unsuccessfully bid in 2017 for an expansion franchise and had lukewarm at best support locally for a new soccer stadium, however, if attendance can increase and fill 18,000 seats per game, this may be a complete game changer in Indianapolis' bid for a Major League Soccer franchise.

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Miami MLS

                 

Is it Real? Maybe...

Back in 2014, a very excited David Beckham announced that Miami will be receiving another MLS franchise (after the Fusion failed in 2002). There was initially a ton of buzz and excitement around the announcement and the celebrity star power owner. Then the project more or less went dead. Site after site for a possible stadium failed for one reason or another until finally, a site was identified and agreed upon with local officials.

Today, the MLS made it official as the Miami team will begin to play in 2020 at a temporary location and then will move to their new permanent stadium in 2021. However, the new stadium saga is not over. There are numerous legal challenges against the stadium that needs to be resolved first.

We'll continue to cover this ongoing saga...

That's all for this week. Thanks for reading and check back again next week as we update you on the latest news in the stadium world!

-D.J.


This post was proofread by Grammarly