New Facilities: SoFi Stadium | James Madison U. | Michie Stadium Stands

Grand Opening

SoFi Stadium, home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, held a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony in September ahead of the venue's inaugural season. The facility is the largest in the NFL at 3.1 million square feet, and has a seating capacity of 70,000 — with the ability to expand to up to 100,000. The facility will host Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, as well as the College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2023.

The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County (Fla.) officially opened in August. The $29 million, 98,000-square-foot facility boasts amenities such as two 35,500-square-foot multi-use courts, a 5,000-square-foot cheer zone with springboard flooring, two multipurpose outdoor fields, an athletic training center and more. The facility is expected to boost the area's sports tourism industry with its ability to host more than 700 event attendees.

[Rendering courtesy of Populous]

The Atlantic Union Bank Center at James Madison University is expected to be completed in November. The $88 million project, designed by Populous, will have seating for 8,500 basketball fans, but will accommodate up to 10,000 for other events. Student-athlete spaces will include a practice court, a locker room, a film room, an academic success area, and a sports medicine area with hydrotherapy.

First Pitch

The Columbus Crew recently unveiled new renderings of its planned $300 million, 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium. The renderings were released as part of the team's virtual town hall series. Designed by HNTB Architecture, the facility will primarily serve the Columbus Crew MLS franchise, but also host international soccer matches, concerts and community events. The stadium is expected to be completed in July 2021.

The city of New Berlin, Wis., announced an agreement with Burghardt Sporting Goods to open a public recreation center inside a former Walmart. The city will take ownership of about 25,000 square feet of the 107,000-square-foot building, and has plans to include a fitness space, dance/yoga studios, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, locker rooms, multipurpose classrooms and a gymnasium. The rec center is in the planning stage, and no firm timetable for the project has been confirmed.

Breaking Ground

[Rendering courtesy of EwingCole]

The U.S. Military Academy is preparing a renovation for the East Stands at Michie Stadium, home of the Black Knights football program. Architecture firm EwingCole is leading the effort to design, plan and program the space with modern amenities to optimize sustainability goals, technology integration and fan experience.

The city of Sartell, Minn., broke ground on a new sports arena in late August. The $6 million facility will be enclosed with a fabric roof, and offer a refrigerated ice sheet for hockey for four months each year, transitioning to a synthetic turf surface for the remaining eight months. 

This article originally appeared in the October 2020 issue of Athletic Business with the title "Forward Progress." Athletic Business is a free magazine for professionals in the athletic, fitness and recreation industry. Click here to subscribe.