WPS expansion franchise Atlanta Beat has reached a deal to construct an 8,300 seat stadium in an Atlanta suburb about 25 miles from downtown. The stadium will cost less than $20 million to construct and will host both the Beat and Kennesaw State University Women’s soccer team. The stadium is designed to increase to 16k for purposes of concerts and is expected to host NCAA events. Click here for images of the proposed stadium. One important note: by building the stadium off school grounds, the team can sell alcohol at all of its home games.
Despite the rather paltry construction price (it’s probably been 20 years since someone built a professional stadium for anything near $20 million), the project is a great sign for WPS. While it is unlikely that the construction of this stadium will be a watershed moment for women’s soccer, it is certainly a good sign that the University sees fit to partner with an expansion franchise in the WPS. Although the cost isn’t great, it still represents an infrastructure investment in the League and women’s soccer.
The stadium is expected to be constructed prior to the Beat’s first game in the Spring. This is a very aggressive schedule. We will keep you apprised of the stadium progress
Posted by Ben Berger 
