Major League Cricket brings stadium upgrades and tourism dollars to Grand Prairie

Grand Prairie’s tourism manager said Major League Cricket (MLC) has turned the former AirHog stadium into a professional cricket venue, brought MLC headquarters to the city and generated millions in local economic activity.

"Major League Cricket basically raised about $120,000,000 to create infrastructure and stadiums where Major League Cricket matches could happen, and Grand Prairie was chosen as one of those locations," Sarah Dodelic, the city’s tourism manager, said on the city program. Dodelic said private investment into the existing stadium in Grand Prairie was about $20,000,000 for renovations.

Dodelic said Grand Prairie is home to the Texas Super Kings, one of six MLC teams, and that the venue now hosts matches for other MLC teams as well. The MLC season began in early June and ran through June 29; Grand Prairie will host Major League Cricket championship matches July 8–13, Dodelic said. She highlighted the sport’s international audience and television distribution: "Cricket is played in over a 100 countries. It's the second most watched sport in the world after soccer," and said streaming services such as Willow TV and Sling TV have broadcast matches featuring Grand Prairie stadium shots.

On economic impact, Dodelic cited figures from MLC’s inaugural season and playoff events hosted in Grand Prairie. "In the inaugural season, Grand Prairie, the playoffs generated about $1,700,000 in economic impact for Grand Prairie," she said. She added that Major League Cricket’s inaugural season generated about $8,000,000 in economic impact overall and that Texas has captured more than $100,000,000 in related economic activity.

Dodelic said the presence of MLC brings a broader tourism bundle—hotel stays, restaurant sales, vehicle rentals and other spending—and noted that MLC recently moved its headquarters to Grand Prairie. The tourism manager encouraged local residents to attend matches, saying tickets start at about $15 and pointing to special events such as veterans' evenings and a mayor's day promotion.

For more information and ticketing, Dodelic directed listeners to VisitGrandPrairieTx.com/cricket. She said Grand Prairie’s stadium and events have given the city international exposure and created local jobs around the league’s activities.

"We really didn't go out looking for that. They came looking for us," Dodelic said of Major League Cricket's decision to use Grand Prairie as a venue.

The tourism office recommended residents and visitors check the Visit Grand Prairie site for schedules and ticket information.