What are some possible surprise XFL venues? Last week I proposed a number of venues in what I would consider the “target markets” which should be used for the XFL to get demand going. I also suggested why the smaller venues make sense for the company. This week, I would like to continue my discussion on venues using the same small stadium theory, being that I find this to be the only solution to make the league successful in the beginning. However, I want to focus on dark horse candidates.
This 41,000 seat stadium in Flushing New York is the home of the New York Mets, the Mets can really use some revenue by bringing in another tenant. This stadium hosts many concerts and has seen a number of soccer games here. New York also does not have any football team as all NFL teams play in a monstrous stadium in NJ which would be a bad decision by the XFL. If the XFL wants to play in a major market and not Hartford, this would be the venue to use based on its size and location with many New Yorkers wishing for a team in the city itself, this can fill the void. However, it seems over the years teams seem to end up in New Jersey instead.
Between Portland and Seattle, Tacome is a small, but beautiful city easily accessible to both of the larger cities (especially Seattle). Tacome Dome is very loud when it has football games, but lacks really outstanding seating or luxury accommodations usually sought by a big league. For full football it seats a bit more than 10K which ay be small for the wants of the league. But clearly, they can make it loud and sell it out every game.
With seating just short of expanding to 43,000 this stadium is in a great climate in a growing city which would love to have a major pro-sport present There are first class facilities here and a massive new scoreboard. The real question here is would the school want a pro team playing here and how would the community really respond to having a team?
With seating over 24,000 the stadium is the perfect size for the XFL. Witchita State University has only been using it for Track ever since folding its football team a number of years back. Surely, they would love to get a tenant to make use of the site and get good money doing it. Witchita has a population over 300,000 and may well be a surprisingly good place for a team.
Considering the size of the city and its surrounds, I am surprised our Nation’s Capital is usually left off possible city lists. RFK stadium the former home of the Redskins, now hosts DC United Soccer only. With seating at 45K,I am sure the owners would love to bring back football to their venue. But, the city is getting saturated in Sports and loves its Hockey at this time of year, which may hurt the ability of the XFL to thrive.
This city may well want to have a pro-sports option in a state totally void of it. College sports have thrived here and Louisville is an easy access city of similar sizes to other towns that seem to get touted for a team more often. This stadium has no permanent football tenant as the Louisville U football team has moved to Papa John’s Stadium. With capacity at 37,925 this may be a good spot for a team, if anyone wants to think Kentucky is for more than college basketball and hose racing.There are plenty of “dark horse” candidates out there. I find these to be the most live of the not as obvious choices.
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