Allianz Field will seat 19,500 fans, despite the club averaging 22,000 fans per game at TCF Bank StadiumMINNESOTA UNITED
Minnesota United Owner Bill McGuire discussed his "opinions on how successful these first two MLS seasons have been, on-field and off; final preparations as Allianz Field is in the final third of its construction and whether or not it has enough seats," according to Jeff Rueter of THE ATHLETIC. McGuire said of measuring success over the first two years, "Obviously, we look at it from a soccer perspective relative to other teams in the league. Not so much in a competitive way, but trying to learn and make sure when we see things that’re really working well that we’re thinking about them and how they can apply to this market and the community." Allianz Field is slated to open in March, and McGuire said of a possible soft launch or test events, "We'll have events, I'm sure, we haven't decided yet." He did note there "won't be a concert," as the team will not "do anything to damage it before that opening game." Rueter noted the team's average attendance while playing its first two seasons at TCF Bank Stadium has been 22,000, while Allianz will open with 19,500 seats. McGuire said, "We know people are now saying 'why aren't you building for 25,000 seats?' Well, that's easy to say right now, and still point out that this is a privately-financed stadium." He added, "It's not just about how many seats we have on Day 1. We want to make sure it's a place people want to be, that we serve them well, and it works for the sport. ... Could there be expansion? Sure." Asked about potentially adding an NWSL or USL affiliate, McGuire said, "They represent very different needs. We have to put together the capability to have a reserve team just to be competitive within what we have" (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/24).
