SeatGeek Stadium is a
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi- ...
in
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately southwest of the Chicago Loop. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 17,027.
History
The earliest settlement in Bridgeview occurred in th ...
, about twelve miles southwest of downtown
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
. It is the home stadium of the
Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sin ...
of the
National Women's Soccer League
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federati ...
,
Chicago Fire FC II of the
MLS Next Pro
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS clubs ...
,
Chicago Hounds Rugby of the
Major League Rugby
Major League Rugby (MLR or USMLR) is a professional rugby union competition and the top-level championship for clubs in North America. In the 2022 season it was contested by thirteen teams: twelve from the United States and one from Canada. Off ...
, and
Chicago State Cougars
The Chicago State Cougars are the varsity athletic teams representing Chicago State University of Chicago, Illinois in intercollegiate athletics. The university currently sponsors 15 varsity teams. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division I as an ind ...
men's and women's soccer teams of the
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...
. The stadium has also hosted the
Chicago Fire of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
,
Chicago Machine
The Chicago Machine were a Major League Lacrosse franchise from 2006 until 2010. The Machine, a men's professional field lacrosse team, played in Toyota Park from 2007 until 2009. Chicago played all its "home" games at various stadiums across ...
of
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001. Teams played anywhere from ten to 16 games in a summertime regular season. This was followed by a four-team playoff ...
,
Chicago Bliss
The Chicago Bliss is a women's American football team based in the Chicago area. The Bliss is one for the first four teams to participate in the Lingerie Bowl and was carried over to the formation of the Lingerie Football League (LFL) in 2009. ...
of the
Legends Football League
The Extreme Football League (X League) is an American women's semi-professional tackle football league.
The league was originally founded in 2009 as the Lingerie Football League (LFL), and later rebranded as the Legends Football League in 2013.
...
, and
Chicago House AC
Chicago House Athletic Club is an American professional men's soccer club owned by Laurence Girard and led by CEO Peter Wilt. The club is based in Chicago, Illinois. They began play in August 2021, competing in the National Independent Soccer ...
of the
National Independent Soccer Association. Originally Toyota Park when it opened on June 11, 2006, the facility has a capacity of 20,000 and was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The
naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of ...
agreement with
SeatGeek
SeatGeek is a mobile-focused ticket platform that enables users to buy and sell tickets for live sports, concerts and theater events. SeatGeek allows both mobile app and desktop users to browse events, view interactive color-coded seatmaps, compl ...
went into effect following the Fire's
2018 season.
[
]
History
The Chicago Fire entered Major League Soccer as an expansion team
An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
in 1998, playing its first four seasons at Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
in Chicago, which they shared with the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL)'s Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
. Beginning in 2002, the club moved to Cardinal Stadium (now Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium
Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium is a stadium in Naperville, Illinois. It is primarily used for American football, soccer and track and field and has a seating capacity of 5,500.
History
Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium is named after two North Central Coll ...
) in Naperville for two seasons while Soldier Field was renovated, leading to calls for a soccer-specific venue. The Fire received several bids before announcing Bridgeview as the winner in 2003. Construction on the Bridgeview venue began on November 30, 2004, and was completed on June 11, 2006.
Naming rights
In 2006, Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
entered into a ten-year naming rights agreement and renamed the new stadium Toyota Park.[ In 2016, it was reported that Toyota had opted against renewing their naming rights. Despite this, the stadium continued to be known as Toyota Park through the 2018 season. Afterwards, new sponsor ]SeatGeek
SeatGeek is a mobile-focused ticket platform that enables users to buy and sell tickets for live sports, concerts and theater events. SeatGeek allows both mobile app and desktop users to browse events, view interactive color-coded seatmaps, compl ...
assumed stadium naming rights starting with the 2019 Fire season.[
The naming rights agreement signed in 2018 was the first such agreement SeatGeek entered into.][ It was reported that as part of the deal, SeatGeek would also serve as the venue's primary ticketing service starting in 2019.][ The company reportedly promised that they would work to "bring more live programming, including premier concerts, music festivals and international sporting events" to the stadium.]
Future
The Fire and Bridgeview began negotiating a re-evaluation of the stadium lease in 2018, shortly after Joe Mansueto
Joseph Daniel Mansueto (born September 3, 1956) is an American billionaire entrepreneur; the founder, majority owner and executive chairman of Morningstar, Inc. he is also the owner of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC and of the Super Lea ...
acquired his stake in the team. In early April 2019, several media reports emerged about a potential contract buyout that would allow the Fire to move back to Chicago, playing temporarily at Soldier Field once again. On May 8, 2019, Fire president Nelson Rodriguez confirmed that the team was negotiating a tentative deal with the village to terminate their lease, which was slated to run through 2036, at an estimated cost of $65 million. The terms of the deal were confirmed on July 9, 2019. In consideration for releasing the Fire and MLS from the lease, the Fire will put money toward a "multisport recreation and entertainment center" at the site. The Red Stars have no plans to move. On January 27, 2021, Chicago House AC
Chicago House Athletic Club is an American professional men's soccer club owned by Laurence Girard and led by CEO Peter Wilt. The club is based in Chicago, Illinois. They began play in August 2021, competing in the National Independent Soccer ...
of the NISA announced that they had selected SeatGeek Stadium as their home.
Design
Incorporating traditional stadium features from American and European facilities, SeatGeek Stadium includes predominantly covered seating, a brick facade and stone entry archway, and first rows placed fewer than three yards from the field. It includes 42 executive suites, six larger party suites, the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame, and the Fire club offices, as well as a large stadium club/banquet room measuring over .
A practice facility with two fields (one natural grass; the other artificial turf) for the Fire club and its youth programs lies next to the stadium. The stadium's design allows expansion of 50% more seating at negligible expense. Its natural grass field's $1.7 million turf management system comprises full heating, drainage, and aeration capabilities.
A permanent stage allows the stadium to host concerts and quickly change configurations. A typical conversion from soccer to stage takes no more than 18 hours. The field accommodates 8,000 additional chairback seats for concerts and other stage events. SeatGeek Stadium is currently operated by Spectra.[
In July 2016, two large-scale murals were designed and painted by artist Tony Passero on the east and west walls of the stadium's stage suites. The murals measure 14 feet high by 27 feet in length, and are named "Offense" and "Defense".
]
Major soccer events
On November 27, 2010, SeatGeek Stadium was the venue for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification match between USA and Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
; USA defeated Italy 1–0 and advanced to the World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
. SeatGeek Stadium was the venue for the 2006 MLS All-Star Game
The 2006 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 11th Major League Soccer All-Star Game, played on August 5, 2006, at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois between the MLS All-Stars and Chelsea. The MLS All-Stars won the match 1–0, with Dwayne ...
, in which the MLS side defeated Chelsea F.C. 1–0. The stadium also hosted the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June through September, open to all soccer teams in the United States.
The Chicago Fire won 3–1 over defending-champion Los Angeles Galaxy in the final at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. It was ...
's final, in which the Chicago Fire defeated the LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began p ...
3–1.
SeatGeek Stadium hosts annual friendly matches between Chicago Fire and the popular European and Mexican clubs, which in the past included A.C. Milan, Everton, C.D. Guadalajara, Club America
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album '' kelsea''
Brands and enterprise ...
, Santos Laguna, and others. SeatGeek Stadium hosted four matches during the group stage of the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship
The 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, the ninth edition of the CONCACAF Women's Championship/Gold Cup/Women's World Cup qualifying tournament, was a women's soccer tournament that took place in the United States between 15 and 26 October 2014. It ...
.
Rugby union
SeatGeek Stadium hosted its first international rugby match in 2007, with the United States Eagles losing 6–10 to provincial side Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...
. In June 2008 the stadium hosted three matches of the Churchill Cup
The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's (and formerly women's) teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams (originally one and later three) from a wide arr ...
, including United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
vs Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, England Saxons
England A is England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England Saxons. England A play a key role in the development of em ...
vs Scotland A, and Ireland Wolfhounds vs Argentina Jaguares. On June 6, 2009 the stadium hosted a 2009 mid-year rugby test series
The 2009 mid-year rugby union tests (also known as the Summer Internationals in the Northern Hemisphere) refers to the rugby union Internationals played from 23 May to 4 July 2009, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
The main event in the series w ...
match between United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in a warmup match for the USA in its campaign to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South ...
.
Other sports events
SeatGeek Stadium served as the home site for Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
The unive ...
men's and women's soccer matches from 2010 until 2019, when the team moved their matches to Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
's on-campus stadium. It was announced in December 2019 that the Chicago Blitz of the Extreme Football League would play their inaugural season at SeatGeek Stadium.
The first college football game at the stadium took place on September 7, 2013 between DIII schools John Carroll and Saint Norbert, a game which John Carroll won 41-0.
For their 2021 season, the Chicago State Cougars
The Chicago State Cougars are the varsity athletic teams representing Chicago State University of Chicago, Illinois in intercollegiate athletics. The university currently sponsors 15 varsity teams. The Cougars compete in NCAA Division I as an ind ...
men's and women's soccer teams are playing at the stadium.
Concerts and music festivals
From 2006 to 2015, SeatGeek Stadium has been the host venue for Chicago radio station B96's annual summer concert, The B96 Pepsi Summer Bash. The Crossroads Guitar Festival was held on July 28, 2007 and again on June 26, 2010.
Concerts
Music festivals
Accessibility
Pace
Pace or paces may refer to:
Business
*Pace (transit), a bus operator in the suburbs of Chicago, US
*Pace Airlines, an American charter airline
* Pace Foods, a maker of a popular brand of salsa sold in North America, owned by Campbell Soup Compan ...
operates the #387 SeatGeek Stadium Express nonstop from the Midway Orange Line Station for Chicago Fire matches and special events. A $2.475 million transit center operated by Pace was constructed at the east end of the stadium's parking lot in 2014.
The Fire had also provided bus transportation from nine different bar locations in the city to and from the games. However upon moving back to Soldier Field that service is no longer offered for SeakGeek Stadium.
See also
* List of sports venues with the name Toyota
References
External links
SeatGeek Stadium official website
SeatGeek Stadium
at StadiumDB.com
{{Authority control
Chicago Fire FC
Chicago Red Stars
Lacrosse venues in Illinois
Former Major League Lacrosse venues
Premier Lacrosse League venues
Legends Football League venues
Former Major League Soccer stadiums
Music venues in Illinois
National Women's Soccer League stadiums
Roosevelt Lakers
Rugby union stadiums in Chicago
Soccer venues in Chicago
Women's Professional Soccer stadiums
Former National Independent Soccer Association stadiums
Defunct National Premier Soccer League stadiums
Toyota