Ford Center at The Star is a 12,000-seat stadium located in Frisco, Texas. Its main use is as the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility.[4] It is also used for Whataburger's Friday Night Stars, an event every Friday showcasing Frisco Independent School District high school varsity football.[5] The synthetic turf surface is Hellas Matrix Helix Turf. The field's dimensions can also be marked for and accommodate a regulation soccer pitch and lacrosse field.
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 Tostitos Championship Plaza, at the entrance to Ford Center at the Star. The plaza's field is a miniature 3⁄5 representation of an official field. | |
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| Address | 9 Cowboys Way |
|---|---|
| Location | Frisco, Texas |
| Coordinates | 33°06′38″N 96°49′41″W / 33.1105°N 96.8281°W |
| Operator | Dallas Cowboys |
| Capacity | 12,000 |
| Surface | Hellas Matrix Helix Turf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 22, 2014 |
| Opened | 2016 |
| Construction cost | $1.5 billion[1] |
| Architect | Gensler[2] |
| General contractor | Manhattan Construction Company[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Dallas Cowboys practice facility (NFL) (2016–present) Dallas Rattlers (MLL) (2018–2019) Texas Revolution (CIF) (2019) Frisco ISD football[a] (2016–present) East–West Shrine Bowl (2024–present) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editThe project was announced in 2013 as a partnership between the City of Frisco and the Dallas Cowboys as part of the "$5 Billion Mile" in Frisco Station, Texas. The Ford Center is part of a 91-acre development called The Star, which includes the Dallas Cowboys' team headquarters and training facility. The Dallas Cowboys decided to move to Frisco from Valley Ranch, Texas, and now uses The Star for their practice games. Hosting a 300-room Omni Hotel, the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Walk, and retail and restaurant space, it is used for multiple events and football games. Asides from the main stadium, it features practice fields and a sports training complex called the "Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research center for sports medicine".[6]
In 2015, the Cowboys and Ford Motor Company signed a ten-year deal for naming rights.[7]
Dallas Rattlers
editOn November 16, 2017, Major League Lacrosse announced it was relocating the Rochester Rattlers to Frisco and the Ford Center as the Dallas Rattlers.[8] The Rattlers, the first professional team to play their games in the facility, played their first home game at the Ford Center on April 29, 2018, against the Denver Outlaws. The Rattlers won the game in overtime, 15–14 with a reported 7,217 attendance.[9] The Rattlers ceased operations after the 2019 season.
Texas Revolution
editOn December 18, 2018, the Texas Revolution of Champions Indoor Football announced they had signed a three-year lease to play home games at the Ford Center beginning with the 2019 season.[10] However, after three home games in its first season in the arena, the team was evicted.[11][12] On May 9, the team announced it had ceased operations after the ownership failed to back its financial obligations.[13]
Other events
edit- Major League Lacrosse (MLL) hosted the 2017 Steinfeld Cup, the league championship game for the 2017 season at the Ford Center.[14] The MLL later moved the Rochester Rattlers to the facility permanently for the 2018 season.
- Conference USA held its men and women's basketball tournaments from 2018 through 2023 at The Star in partnership with the University of North Texas, the Dallas Cowboys, and the city of Frisco.[15]
- On June 16, 2018, the venue hosted a welterweight world championship boxing match with Errol Spence Jr. successfully defending his IBF title against challenger Carlos Ocampo.[16] On February 2, 2019, Eleider Álvarez and Sergey Kovalev fought at the arena for the WBO light heavyweight title, for which Kovalev regained his title after a hard-fought and rightfully deserved win.
- Bob Seger performed at The Star on March 9, 2019.[17]
- The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was scheduled to hold its 2019 championship game at The Star on April 27, but wasn't played after the league suspended operations on April 2.[18] Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas was originally announced as the host site for the game in October 2018, but the venue was changed in March.[19]
- In June 2023, organizers of the East–West Shrine Bowl announced that the annual all-star college football game would move to Ford Center at The Star as of the 2024 playing; the bowl had most recently been held at Allegiant Stadium near Las Vegas.[20]
Notes
edit- ^ The Frisco Independent School District stages high school football games as a member of the University Interscholastic League.
References
edit- ^ "Dallas Cowboys open $1.5 billion mixed-use HQ, practice facility with Detroit Lions connection". Crain's Detroit Business. August 22, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "The Dallas Cowboys' New World Headquarters Is Game-Changing". Architectural Digest. September 20, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Manhattan Construction Company Makes The Star in Frisco a Reality | November 24, 2015 | ACP". www.acppubs.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Dallas Cowboys' New Frisco World Headquarters and Multi-Use Event Center to Be Called The Ford Center at The Star". www.dallascowboys.com. Dallas Cowboys. September 11, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ^ Smith, Corbett (May 20, 2015). "A sneak peek on construction at the Cowboys' Star Event Center, also the first domed high school venue in Texas". highschoolsportsblog.dallasnews.com. Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- ^ Cameron, Carolyn (September 1, 2016). "A Star is Born". Frisco STYLE Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Cowboys, Ford Unveil 10-Year Naming-Rights Deal For Team's New Frisco Complex". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. September 14, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Rattlers relocate to Frisco for 2018 season". Dallas Rattlers. November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Dallas Rattlers win first home game in Texas". Dallas Rattlers. April 29, 2018.
- ^ "Texas Revolution to play home games at the Ford Center at The Star". Community Impact. December 18, 2018.
- ^ "May 4th Game Cancelled". Texas Revolution. May 4, 2019.
- ^ "BREAKING: Texas Revolution done at Ford Center". LastWordOnSports. May 7, 2019.
- ^ "May 9 Texas Revolution announcement". TexasRevs.com. May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "2017 MLL championship game set for Frisco, TX". MLL. February 15, 2017.
- ^ "C-USA BKB Championships Moving to Frisco, Texas". Conference USA. May 16, 2017.
- ^ "Errol Spence Jr. to defend welterweight title as part of The Star's boxing debut". ESPN. April 30, 2018.
- ^ "Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Setlist at Ford Center at the Star, Frisco". setlist.fm.
- ^ Rothstein, Michael (April 3, 2019). "AAF suspends operations; Polian 'disappointed'". ESPN.
- ^ "AAF shifts title game from Vegas to Frisco, Texas". ESPN. Associated Press. March 20, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ "Historic East-West Shrine Bowl Moves to Ford Center in Frisco in 2024". shrinebowl.com (Press release). June 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.