Ted Segal will have a renovated stadium to open the 2023 season, but will still have the real test of staying competitive in the MLSMaria Lysaker/USA TODAY Sports
Change has "trumped all" for the Dynamo and NWSL Houston Dash since majority owner Ted Segal took over Houston’s professional soccer clubs in June 2021 and proclaimed that the “competitive standard, on and off the pitch, must be raised,” according to Brian Smith of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. A renovated PNC Stadium will “feature all-mesh seats” when the Dynamo holds their 2023 home opener March 18. A new East Club, a 15,000 square foot premium space, is also "scheduled to be open.” On his first look at the more modernized stadium, Segal said, “This is a very real thing now because you can see the change tangibly." He added, “I know what the final product will look like and it’s something that our fans deserve and I’m very pleased to be delivering it for them.” However, Smith wrote winning at a “high level” in an increasingly competitive MLS is the “real test for Segal.” The Texans (1-12-1) and Rockets (9-21) are “rebuilding and could be for years," but the time for the Dynamo/Dash to “surge forward isn’t in 2027.” Smith: “It’s now and they are fully aware of that reality.” There are "affordable ticket prices if you have $11," and adding more local food vendors inside the stadium are just part of the effort to "reconnect the Dynamo and Dash with the region" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/21).
