Historic Crew Stadium

Historic Crew Stadium
Aerial view of the stadium, 2018
Map
Former names
  • Columbus Crew Stadium (1999–2015)
  • Mapfre Stadium (2015–2020)
Address1 Black and Gold Boulevard
LocationColumbus, Ohio
Coordinates40°0′34″N 82°59′28″W / 40.00944°N 82.99111°W / 40.00944; -82.99111
OperatorColumbus Crew
Capacity22,555 (1999–2008)
20,145 (2008–2015)
19,968 (2015–2021)[3]
25,000–30,000 (concerts)
Field size115 × 75 yards
SurfaceKentucky bluegrass (1999–2020)
The Motz Group synthetic turf (2021–present)
Construction
Broke groundAugust 14, 1998[1]
OpenedMay 15, 1999
Construction costUS$28.5 million
($52.1 million in 2023 dollars)[2]
ArchitectNBBJ
Structural engineerKorda/Nemeth Engineering Inc.[1]
General contractorCorna/Kokosing Construction Co.[1]
Tenants
Columbus Crew 2 (MLS Next Pro) 2022–present
Columbus Crew (MLS) 1999–2021

Historic Crew Stadium, previously known as Columbus Crew Stadium and Mapfre Stadium, is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It primarily served as the home stadium of the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer from 1999 until 2021, when the team moved to Lower.com Field. Historic Crew Stadium is the current home of the Crew's training facility, the OhioHealth Performance Center and MLS Next Pro team Columbus Crew 2. Historic Crew Stadium is also the site of a variety of additional events in amateur and professional soccer, American football, lacrosse, and rugby, and is a regular site for outdoor concerts due to the permanent stage in the north end zone.

Built in 1999, it was the first soccer-specific stadium built by a Major League Soccer team, starting an important trend in MLS stadium construction. The stadium was named for Madrid–based Mapfre Insurance after the company signed a 5-year sponsorship agreement announced on March 3, 2015. In December 2020, the deal expired and the Crew renamed the stadium.[4] The listed seating capacity is 19,968. In 2015, Mapfre Stadium and Director of Grounds Weston Appelfeller were honored with the prestigious Field of the Year award by the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) for the professional soccer division.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Columbus Crew Media Guide Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Historic Crew Stadium". Greater Columbus Sports Commission. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  4. ^ "Mapfre no more: Columbus Crew seeks new naming-rights partner for historic stadium". Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "S2015 Field of the Year winners named by STMA". December 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2016.