Columbus Crew Stadium

The construction of historic Crew Stadium, which fulfilled the dream and vision of Crew Founder Lamar Hunt and soccer enthusiasts across America, remains one of the most important events in the sport's history in this country. Erected in a scant nine months and one day, at a cost of $28.5 million, it was the first major-league stadium built specifically for soccer in the U.S.

Since opening on May 15, 1999, when the Crew downed the New England Revolu- tion, 2-0, before a sellout crowd of 24,741- a true watershed moment - Crew Stadium's impact on soccer in the United States has been recognized around the globe. The new facility sparked a new interest among soccer fans in central Ohio. Their loyalty would be evidenced by the fact that Columbus finished the 1999 regular season with the league's highest average home attendance of 17,696.

Plans for a soccer specific stadium in central Ohio had been in the works ever since the Crew's inaugural season, when the Black & Gold called historic Ohio Stadium home. Realizing that the Crew's days at the Horse- shoe were numbered due to the facility's oversized seating capacity and downsized field width, team officials made the search for a suitable venue a top priority.

Just after the start of the 1997 season, after more than a year of in-depth studies, the Crew's first real chance at a home of its own came in the form of Issue I, a Franklin County vote to raise taxes 0.5 percent for a $285 million downtown stadium and arena complex. Voters went to the polls on May 7, but the issue came up short, as the vote was defeated 56 percent to 44 percent.

Explore Related Categories