The Dallas Trinity FC will play its first match in the Cotton Bowl in August. It is one of eight new teams in the USL Super League.
The historic Cotton Bowl is no stranger to the game. FC Dallas played there back when the team was the "Dallas Burn." In 1994, the stadium hosted the World Cup. Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami CF team played in front of a sold out crowd more recently.
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WATCH HERELone Star Politics spoke with Charlie Neil, the president of Dallas Trinity FC. His father Jim Neil, from Dallas-based real-estate investment firm Churchill Capital, is the club's owner.
Dallas City Council kicked in nearly $600,000 in a two-year agreement with the team. Lone Star Politics asked Neil what the city gets in return.
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SIGN UP "I hope a lot of excitement and vibrancy down in Fair Park and at the Cotton Bowl," said Neil, "I think this is really the culmination of just the direction that women's sports is going and women's soccer is the most popular women's sport in the world and Dallas has been so deserving of a team."
Neil points out this is a "major franchise." The USL Super League is a Division One league governed by US Soccer. The team meets the market, stadium, and investment qualifications required under the governing body.
"From a long-term viability standpoint we're confident the league will sustain but also thrive and Dallas will be a big part of that," said Neil.
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Longtime radio voice of the Dallas Mavericks, Chuck Cooperstein, has seen his fair share of team ideas. Lone Star Politics asked Cooperstein what makes a team succeed or fail in the hyper-competitive North Texas market. "No one starts a team and makes money right away. That just doesn't happen. Some are obviously able to do it better than others. But really, there's got to be an infrastructure within the team to make it," said Cooperstein, "There's got to be significant backing to be willing to take on losses until they ultimately are able to turn a profit."
Is Neil confident the team will remain in Dallas past the first two-year agreement?
"We are confident," Neil said.
"You are making a front end investment in this club in the hopes of long-term it succeeds. Right? And a lot of the investment upfront is about growing the audience, growing the brand affinity, growing your impact in the community. Those are all things that lend itself to a club succeeding long-term," said Neil.
The Cotton Bowl seats 90,000 people and the facility has pros and cons for any sports franchise. The pro is it's available. The con is it's big - really big. It may appear like an empty stadium on television or in person, which could limit the fan experience. Neil says they're aware of the challenge and will try to make it the best experience possible with music, culture, and "noise."
"It's a big venue. That excites us. What room to grow into. And we're fully confident this market is going to get behind this team, fill that stadium up and create a vibrant environment," said Neil.
Neil points out that the team will bring "strong female remodels" to town "out there on the field that young girls can aspire to."
