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Trinity FC tells Dallas committee it needs dedicated practice facilities, cites Cotton Bowl constraints
Summary
Trinity FC (women's professional soccer) briefed the committee on its second-season successes, community outreach and record-setting attendance, and requested city partnership on a training center and lease-related operational issues at the Cotton Bowl; city staff confirmed parks department involvement in lease discussions.
Charlie Neal, representing Trinity FC, told the Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention on Nov. 17 that the club has achieved notable attendance and community engagement but lacks a professional practice facility and faces operational constraints tied to preexisting Cotton Bowl agreements.
"We are Dallas born and raised," Neal said, framing the club as locally rooted. He described Trinity as a top-level professional women's soccer organization playing in a newly formed, disruptive league and said the team finished third in its first season while reaching business milestones for attendance, merchandise and partnerships.
Neal said Trinity drew more than 54,000 people across the season and set a Texas attendance record for a professional women's event when about 22,000 fans attended a State Fair match against Club América. Neal tied those numbers to community outreach programs and youth engagement, including school visits and free ticket programs.
The presentation stressed operational challenges at the Cotton Bowl. Neal said the club does not control parking prices, concession pricing or the ticket provider because of preexisting agreements (he referenced OVG and contract limitations). "People have complained about the price of parking, which we didn't control," Neal said, adding that concessions and ticketing choices have affected the fan experience.
Neal pressed for a training center and described a schematic for a shared complex near a park site that would include training centers for Trinity and the Dallas Wings, community fields, and a medical/research component for female athlete performance. He said current practice arrangements — at Hockaday School with restricted hours and no locker rooms — do not meet professional standards and create a burdensome commute for players.
Robin Bentley of the City Manager's Office told the committee that city staff, including parks department representatives, had recently met with the club about the lease and that the parks department would make determinations related to the lease and related operational issues: "They've made those concerns very clear. John and Ryan are aware of them," Bentley said.
Council members asked whether facilities could be shared with the Wings and whether synergies existed; club representatives said timing and contract constraints have limited the degree of coordination to date but that shared site work and exterior efficiencies could be explored. On ticketing, Neal confirmed figures included a mix of paid and complimentary tickets and said the club would provide a season breakdown if requested.
The committee did not take any formal vote; members expressed support and asked staff to continue lease and facilities coordination with the parks department and city manager's office.
