Crew Stadium is earning raves as the nation's first made-for-soccer facility, but Major League Soccer won't have exclusive dibs on the new venue in Columbus, Ohio.
Crew officials have plans for the stadium that include other sports, concerts and different events. "There's no sporting event we cannot set up for," said Mark McCullers, Crew Stadium manager.
With field dimensions large enough for football, Crew officials are talking about hosting high school championships and pro football exhibitions.
Lacrosse, rugby, motocross and truck and tractor pulls are all possibilities for the stadium, McCullers said.
Additionally, a permanent concrete pad on the south end zone will make it easy to stage concerts, McCullers said. The pad means there is no need to worry about protecting the grass field or doing an exhaustive stage set-up, he said.
But with the 22,500-seat venue being the only soccer-specific stadium in the nation, management expects lots of soccer there as well. Major League Soccer has already committed its all-star game to the stadium next year and the MLS Cup in 2001.
Negotiations are under way for the U.S. Soccer Federation's U.S. Open Cup Final to be played there Sept. 14, McCullers said. That is the first of several Soccer Federation events slated for the stadium, he said.
"When the national team plays in some cities, like Washington, D.C., there is a population there from other countries," said Jeff Wuerth, Crew public relations and marketing manager. "The national team will truly have a home-field advantage here."
The national men's and women's teams are likely to play in the new facility in preparation for next year's Summer Olympics in Australia, and several international teams are interested in playing exhibitions against the Crew, McCullers said.
Officials also are discussing hosting the state High School Athletic Association soccer championships and football semifinals at Crew Stadium, he said. While nothing has been agreed to yet, Crew officials also had discussions with U.S. Rugby and motocross and truck/ tractor-pull promoters. They've even had talks with the Cincinnati Bengals about a possible football exhibition.
"One of our strategies is to create annuities, events that are here year in and out," McCullers said. "So obviously we're trying to work with partners in the marketplace to develop those events."
Carolyn McMeekin is a writer living in Columbus, Ohio.
