Lower.com Field
Soccer stadium in downtown Columbus, Ohio
39°58′6.46″N 83°1′1.52″W / 39.9684611°N 83.0170889°W / 39.9684611; -83.0170889Lower.com Field is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It serves primarily as the home stadium of the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, replacing the club's previous home, Historic Crew Stadium. The new stadium cost $314 million and is located at the center of the mixed-use Astor Park development adjacent to the Arena District and downtown.[5] It seats 20,371 spectators and includes 30 suites and 1,900 club seats.
History
Construction on the new stadium was originally scheduled to begin in the summer of 2019, but after delays, [6] groundbreaking was later rescheduled to October 10, 2019.[3] Upon completion of Lower.com Field, Historic Crew Stadium was redeveloped into the training center of Columbus Crew.[7]
On June 15, 2021, the Crew announced that Columbus-based online real estate company Lower.com had purchased the naming rights to the stadium; per team policy, terms were not disclosed.[8]
The first game in Lower.com Field was on July 3, 2021, and resulted in a 2–2 draw between the Crew and the New England Revolution. Parts of the stadium were still under construction at the time.[5][9] The first goal in stadium history was scored by Tajon Buchanan of New England; Columbus' first goal was scored by Gyasi Zardes during the same match.[10] On July 17, 2021, the Crew earned their first win at Lower.com Field with a 2–1 victory over New York City FC.[11]
The stadium is owned by the Confluence Community Authority (CCA), a special district governed by the City of Columbus and Franklin County. The Crew have a 30-year lease with the CCA with an annual rent of $10 and an option to purchase the stadium outright in 2047 for 30 percent of its market value.[12]
Major events
Men's club matches
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Tournament | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 29, 2021 |  Columbus Crew | 2–0 |  Cruz Azul | 2021 Campeones Cup | 18,026 |
| December 9, 2023 | Columbus Crew | 2–1 | Los Angeles FC | MLS Cup 2023 | 20,802 |
| July 24, 2024 |  MLS All-Stars | – | Liga MX All-Stars | 2024 MLS All-Star Game | |
| July 27, 2024 | Columbus Crew | – |  Aston Villa | Friendly |
International matches
Men's matches
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Tournament | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 13, 2021 | United States | 2–1 |  Costa Rica | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF third round | 20,165 |
| January 27, 2022 | United States | 1–0 |  El Salvador | 20,000 |
Women's matches
| Date | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Tournament | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9, 2022 | United States | 9–1 |  Uzbekistan | Friendly | 12,071 |
| April 9, 2024 | United States | – | Canada/ Brazil | 2024 SheBelieves Cup | |
 Japan | – | Canada/ Brazil |
References
- ^ "A-Z Guide for Matchday and Stadium Policies". ColumbusCrew.com. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ "City council approves Crew SC stadium development". WBNS-TV. Tegna. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
- ^ a b Crew SC Communications (September 17, 2019). "SAVE THE DATE: Columbus Crew SC to break ground for new stadium on Oct. 10 in open-to-the-public ceremony". Columbus Crew SC. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ "Columbus Crew MLS Stadium". HNTB. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Myers, Jacob (March 24, 2021). "It's a date: new Crew Stadium will open July 3 against New England". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ^ "Columbus Crew SC's downtown stadium construction to start in summer of 2019". ESPN.com. January 9, 2019.
- ^ "Plan calls for $230M Columbus Crew stadium in the Arena District, anchoring new mixed-use development". Columbus Business First. December 6, 2018.
- ^ "Introducing Lower.com Field: Columbus Crew announces long-term stadium naming rights partnership with Lower". ColumbusCrew.com. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Sigal, Jonathan (June 7, 2019). "Columbus Crew president: New stadium won't open until summer of 2021". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ Sigal, Jonathan (July 3, 2021). "Recap: Columbus Crew 2, New England Revolution 2". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Myers, Jacob. "Columbus Crew holds on to first-ever win at new stadium, Zelarayan scores free-kick winner". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Bush, Bill (October 4, 2022). "Crew's rent for Lower.com Field only $10 a year, but team still late with payments". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
External links
Ohio portal
- Official website
Media related to Lower.com Field at Wikimedia Commons
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of the Columbus Crew 2021 – present | Succeeded by current |
- v
- t
- e
Columbus Crew
Columbus, Ohio
- Ohio Stadium (1996–1998)
- Historic Crew Stadium (1999–2021)
- Lower.com Field (2021–present)
- EAS Training Center
- Owners
- Dee and Jimmy Haslam
- President
- Tim Bezbatchenko
- Technical director
- Marc Nicholls
- Head coach
- Wilfried Nancy
