North Texas' newest professional soccer team, called Dallas Trinity FC, will begin play at Fair Park's Cotton Bowl Stadium the week of Aug. 16, team officials announced Thursday.
The women's soccer club, part of the new USL Super League, unveiled its name, crest and other branding Thursday at Klyde Warren Park. The announcement came a day after the Dallas City Council approved a two-year, $592,000 grant to Fair Park operators to secure a contract with the team that calls Cotton Bowl Stadium home. .
“I would like to thank Dallas for bringing a new chapter in women's professional soccer to one of the most impressive sports cities in the world,” Dallas Trinity FC CEO Jim Neal, whose family owns the team, told a crowd of several hundred people. I'm humbled and excited to be able to bring this to the table.” Klyde Warren Park. “We will do everything in our power to make the city proud of your wonderful new club.”
Charlie Neal, the team's president, said the team was named after the Trinity River in North Texas. The team's logo is a Pegasus, the city's unofficial mascot. The team colors are maroon and gold, a nod to the Texas sunrise and prairies.
Among the hundreds of people who gathered for the unveiling were Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, Interim City Manager Kimberly Biser Tolbert, USL Super League President Amanda Vandervoort and Dallas Mavericks CEO Sint. Marshall, and at least seven Dallas City Council members.
The USL Super League is a new women's professional soccer league starting in August with eight teams, with plans to expand to include at least two more teams in its second season. The new league will be comparable to the National Women's Soccer League, which was created in 2012. The only Texas team in the NWSL is based in Houston.
The USL Super League schedule features games from August to December, with a midseason break through January, followed by games from February to May.
The USL Super League has already announced its other team in Brooklyn, New York. Charlotte, North Carolina. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lexington, Kentucky. Spokane, Washington. Tampa, Florida. and washington d.c.
dream came true
Jim Neal announced that Chris Petrucelli, who was fired as coach of the NWSL's Chicago Red Stars in October, will be named general manager of Dallas Trinity FC. As of the time of the brand announcement, the signed players have not been announced. Neil described the team as “a dream come true.”
“The current momentum in women's sports is undeniable,” he says. “And as America's largest sports city, Dallas is perfectly positioned to champion and embrace our new women's professional soccer team.”
Neal told City Council members Wednesday that the franchise is in talks with the University of Dallas about possible practice space. The team aims to run clinics and tournaments for youth, has more than half of its employees as women, and plans to seek women and people of color to own minority teams.
Under the city's approved proposal, Dallas would give a grant to Fair Park's management company, Oakview Group, which would reserve the stadium for soccer teams on days when the venue is not reserved. It will continue. A resolution proposed ahead of Wednesday's vote would provide $296,000 a year in event subsidies worth $18,500 per game, but does not specify the full terms of the agreement for teams to play in the stadium. It was not immediately clear whether this or other city incentives were being offered. .
Cotton Bowl Stadium is undergoing an approximately $140 million renovation that is expected to be completed by the 2025 State Fair of Texas in the fall. Stadium renovation plans include improvements to restrooms, concessions, seating and new escalators. Construction began in March.
The move marks the second time in recent months that the City Council has approved an agreement to bring women's professional sports teams to Dallas. On April 24, the City Council approved a 15-year, $19 million contract for the WNBA's Dallas Wings to relocate from Arlington to downtown Dallas. The proposal still needs approval from the WNBA Board of Governors, but the Wings would play at Dallas Memorial Auditorium starting in 2026.
Johnson said the city is committed to supporting the professional sports industry due to its ability to attract tourists, strengthen the city's economic portfolio and promote economic development.
“Attracting new sports teams to Dallas is critical to continuing our positive momentum as a world-class city and will show the world that this city is booming. ” said the mayor.