Best soccer stadiums in the US under 15,000 capacity
As the popularity of soccer grows in the US, more and more small North American Soccer League (NASL) and United Soccer League (USL) teams are getting nicer soccer venues. For today’s list, I went through the painstaking process of looking at almost every soccer stadium under 15,000 capacity and over 2,000. I ranked them mostly based on the design of the exterior as well as the style of seating and fan experience. This list excludes stadiums with tracks and baseball stadiums being used by soccer teams. Let’s get into it.
5. Zions Bank Stadium, 5,000 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
Located in Herriman, Utah, Zions Bank Stadium is a 5,000 capacity stadium owned by MLS team Real Salt Lake. The stadium hosts Real’s feeder team the Real Monarchs as well as Major League Rugby team Utah Warriors. The stadium features single seats on one half and bleachers on the other; however, the bleachers were recently upgraded to match the home side of the stadium. The ground is just a classic two stand design; however, the only reason this stadium creeps onto the list is the view the west stand features of the snowy Oquirrh Mountain Range. Though this stadium is nothing to shout about, the views and the feel of the small Utah ground brings it in at number five.
4. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, 10,500 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
Next, we travel to Kennesaw, Georgia, with Fifth Third Bank Stadium. The 10,500 capacity stadium is home to the local Kennesaw State University as well as Atlanta United II. The stadium was owned and solely operated by the university until the MLS added Atlanta United to the league, therefore, adding the club development side as well. The stadium was rebranded in 2013 to its name today after a deal was struck with the MLS side to let their USL side play in the ground. Built-in a classic u-shape, similar to other bigger MLS stadiums. The stadium features a row of press boxes, which is somewhat uncommon to a stadium this size. They are situated below the entrances and concession booths, which feature geometric designs to give the stadium a pop. The look of the stadium as well as the variety of the fan seating slots Fifth Third Bank Stadium in at the number four spot.
3. Toyota Field, 8,296 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
Toyota Field, which has a capacity just under 8,300, is located in San Antonio, Texas. The stadium is home to only USL side San Antonio FC after NASL side the San Antonio Scorpions was dissolved in 2015. Similar to Fifth Third Bank, the stadium is built in the classic u-shape that seen a lot in soccer venues across the country. Also like the Georgia venue is the row of 16 executive suites spanning the entire length of the west side of the stadium. The stadium features single-seat seating throughout the whole stadium. The picture above is outdated as it features the name of the dissolved NASL team, the seating has since been given a clean coat of red. What puts Toyota Field in at number three is its modern feel and design to nod to the colors of its occupying team. There are plans to expand the stadium by almost 10,000 seats as well as 18 more suites to the east side of the stadium, which would give the stadium a second deck of seating on the east side. This would boost the capacity to almost 20,000 and could end up being a future home to a San Antonio MLS side.
2. H-E-B Park, 9,735 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
Located in Edinburg, Texas, H-E-B Park is a classic grandstand stadium home to the USL team Rio Grande Valley FC. The 9,735 capacity stadium was opened in 2017 and boasted a bold, modern design featuring the colors of the Toros. Executive suites line the ground level of both sides of the stands giving the fans an up-close and personal experience of the pitch. Though no plans of expansion are in the future, the architects of the stadium gave the stadium a sneak peek of what a full wrap-around grandstand could look like in the future. With the MLS expanding every other year or so, it will be interesting to see if an expansion of the stadium could earn Texas another MLS franchise.
1. Lynn Family Stadium, 11,700 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
In Louisville, Kentucky, LouCity FC plan on opening their brand new home next month. With just under 12,000 seats, the stadium is expandable to 14,000 and even 20,000 after that. Though we have seen this shape of stadium before in other entries on this list, none have done it quite like LouCity. Taking much inspiration from Avaya and Rio Tinto stadiums from the MLS, the architects wanted to create a European style stadium with an American touch. Lynn Family features a sleek modern roof design with arcing light fixtures that illuminate the field. Similar to Avaya Stadium, the ground also features multi-colored seats to give the stands a pop od design. With the stadium being so new, there are no plans in the future yet of completing a full wrap-around grandstand. Although LouCity is not going to be earning an MLS call-up anytime soon. However, it is good to see that even USL teams are putting in the effort to give their fans the right experience when coming to see their favorite team.
Honorable Mentions
1. WakeMed Soccer Park, 10,000 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
2. Morrison Stadium, 6,000 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
3. Highmark Stadium, 5,000 capacity
picture via wikipedia.org
Soccer is slowly growing in popularity in the US. Whether it be the MLS, USL, or NASL, Americans are beginning to resonate more and more with their local teams. With this surge in popularity brings the need for franchisees to give their fans a proper home. Some of these stadiums are beautiful works of architecture and design. Now, they are starting to become staples around the country just as they are around the world.