FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas, together with the SMU Athletic Department, have been selected to host the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's College Cup, the selection committee announced today. The event will be held at the home of FC Dallas, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, on Dec. 12 and 14, 2008.
"Pizza Hut Park has quickly become a home for big-time soccer events and we're excited to partner with SMU to host another one - the NCAA College Cup," said FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park General Manager Michael Hitchcock. "We look forward to the opportunity to show the NCAA, their sponsors, VIPs and thousands of college sports fans that Pizza Hut Park is the perfect venue to host the NCAA National Soccer Championship. We'd love for Frisco and Pizza Hut Park to become the permanent home of the College Cup, in similar fashion to Omaha and the College World Series."
In a little over a decade, Dallas has hosted several national and international soccer events including the 1994 World Cup, the 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2005 and 2006 MLS Cups, the 2001 Women's College Cup, the 2002 Men's College Cup and numerous international friendlies and exhibitions. Dallas is also home to SMU men's soccer, one of the nation's most all-time successful programs. The only NCAA Division I men's soccer program in the state of Texas, SMU has made 13 consecutive NCAA appearances. The Mustangs have won nine regular-season conference titles and six conference tournament titles in the last 10 years.
"After hosting two previous College Cups, we are very excited about bringing another National Championship event to the Dallas area," said SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "As the only Division I athletic program in Dallas, we feel a responsibility to our fans and all the residents of the Metroplex to host events such as these. SMU already offers tremendous collegiate athletic events and this will only add to what we already provide on the Hilltop."
Previous hosts of the NCAA Men's College Cup since 2000 include: Charlotte, N.C., (2000); Columbus, Ohio (2001 & 2003); Dallas (2002); and Carson, Calif., (2004), Cary, N.C. (2005) and St. Louis (2006).
FC Dallas will return from its preseason trip in Brazil on Fri. March 9. The team will play for the first time at Pizza Hut Park on Sun., March 11 when they face the Columbus Crew in the inaugural Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup, a charity-fundraising preseason game with all net proceeds going to Dallas SCORES. Fans may select the price of admission (minimum $5) and parking is free. For more information, visit www.fcdallas.net or call 888-FCD-GOAL.
About Pizza Hut Park: Opened on August 6, 2005, Pizza Hut Park is a 145-acre multipurpose sports and entertainment facility located at the intersection of Main Street and Dallas North Tollway in Frisco, Texas, and is the home stadium for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. The stadium, which has a permanent stage on the north end situated off the playing surface, has a capacity of 20,500 fans for sporting events but can expand to accommodate over 27,000 fans for concerts by utilizing field seats. The complex also includes 17 tournament-grade fields used for youth and adult soccer, as well as high school sports and other events. The $105 million public-private complex is owned by the City of Frisco in partnership with the Hunt Sports Group (HSG), the Frisco Independent School District, and Collin County. In February 2006, it was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as the winner of the Best Community Impact Award for 2005, given to a property that was judged to have created the most positive economic and social impact on a community. Over 1.5 million spectators and participants visited the complex in 2006 for FC Dallas games, concerts, soccer tournaments, and other special events through the year.
