It’s a move that mirrors the league-leading upswing in attendance in Frisco, as well as the boost in local popularity and season ticket holders since 2010. FC Dallas Stadium is no more: Toyota Stadium is in.
The Pizza Hut deal (the stadium’s former namesake) fell apart only over a season ago, leaving the park without an official sponsor and a default, but doable, name. But in typical fashion, Dan and Clark Hunt rolled out a big name sponsor at a time when interest in the club is still peaking. It follows the successful shirt sponsoring partnership between FC Dallas and Advocare, the health and wellness giants.
Rumors had abounded, followed with even a few photos on Twitter, of the stadium being named “Tundra Stadium.” It actually had a nice ring to it, and even more irony when you consider the hellish temperatures Dallas reaches from June through August.
“Welcome to Tundra Stadium. Tonight’s match between FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire kicks off at 7:30 CST with a temperature of 105 degrees on the pitch,” could have been an actual lead in from Mark Followill. It would have been subsequently added on to by one frozen-earth pun after another. Still, it would have been more tolerable than the stadium’s former nickname “The Oven” when naming rights belonged to Pizza Hut.
Regardless, it’s yet another business partnership that signifies a couple of things for FCD. For one, the Hunts have struck gold again and seem to be doing well on the business end of things for Dallas. Lastly, it shows that the club are no longer a fringe and marginal sideshow lost within a sea of high school football, the Cowboys, Rangers, or Mavericks. It can attract big names, and will continue to attract supporters, as has been proven the past three seasons.
