19 New, Renovated, and Upcoming Sports Venues to Watch

Play ball at these exciting projects that will increase the number of sports venues in this country.

19 New, Renovated, and Upcoming Sports Venues to Watch

Sports tourism rallied the events industry in its most recent time of crisis. Now, with business booming on all fronts, there is more good news on the way. Destinations and athletic-minded organizations are investing in new facilities for future sports stars. 

Here, we look at what’s completed, in the pipeline, and on the drawing board to meet the growing demands to host sports competitions. 

Bell94 Sports Complex & WestWorld Sports Complex
Scottsdale, Arizona
New and Coming Soon

Scottsdale is halfway through a doubleheader that will be a boon for the region. Bell94 opened in February 2022 with six lighted rectangular fields. WestWorld will follow suit with an additional five fields this fall. When combined with Scottsdale Sports Complex, the city will sport 21 fields within 1.5 miles of one another—more than enough for any large-scale tournament.

Bell Bank Park
Mesa, Arizona
New

The wait for a new sports complex in Mesa, Arizona, was worth it judging by Bell Bank Park, powered by Legacy Sports USA. This whopping 320-acre campus, which opened in January 2022, is positioned for all sports. Highlights include a 3,000-seat outdoor stadium; 24 rectangular multisport fields; indoor space for 57 volleyball courts, 19 basketball courts and 22 futsal fields; eight baseball fields and 16 fast-pitch softball/Little League fields; 41 pickleball courts and a 2,000-seat stadium for the sport; and an esports arena. There are also centers for gymnastics, dancing, fitness and wellness, and general sports performance. The 2.7-acre Great Lawn is a great place for a concert, reception, or outdoor movie.

Bluhawk Sports Park
Overland Park, Kansas
Coming Soon

This 250,000-sq.-ft. indoor facility scheduled to open in summer 2023 will be the centerpiece of a mixed-use development in Overland Park, Kansas. Configurations allow for four basketball courts and eight volleyball courts, and there is an ice rink and synthetic turf field. The Sports Facilities Network, which will operate the site, projects Bluhawk will generate $3.8 million in economic impact in its first year of operation.

Cornerstone Sports Complex
Starkville, Mississippi
Coming Soon

Starksille, Mississippi, is making a run at moving up in the world as a top Southern destination. Cornerstone Sports Complex is aptly named in this mission. The venue will see its first pitch this spring as it showcases 12 diamond fields, including a championship centerpiece. SFN projects it will draw between 200,000 and 250,000 annual visitors, resulting in $17 million of direct economic impact to start.

CFG Bank Arena
Baltimore
Renovation

Many a historic event have occurred at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. After a $200 million renovation, many more will take center stage at the venue. Up first in the new-look, 13,000-seat arena is the CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, which have persevered in Charm City despite pandemic-related challenges. This is a great site for ice sports, including hockey and skating, to say nothing of the big-name concerts (Bruce Springsteen, anyone?) coming to town.

Fort Bend County EpiCenter
Rosenberg, Texas
Coming Soon

This 52-acre, $120 million project should be a boon for the region just outside Houston and The Woodlands, Texas. A 177,000-sq.-ft. arena is the centerpiece for the EpiCenter, located right by Rosenberg’s campgrounds. There will also be a 20,000-sq.-ft. multipurpose event center and 33,000-sq.-ft. pavilion. The site, another SFN-operated venue, is designed to host sports, rodeos, graduations, and other special events once it opens in summer 2023.

Fort Worth Convention Center 
Fort Worth
Expansion

Seeing an obvious potential for growth, the city of Fort Worth is going ahead with a two-part plan to modernize and expand the Fort Worth Convention Center. Look for new state-of-the-art food and beverage facilities and the demolishing of the annex in 2024 or 2025. Long-term plans include adding a 1,000-room hotel, demolishing the current arena, and significantly increasing exhibit hall and ballroom space.

Future Legends Complex
Windsor, Colorado
In Progress

The inflatable 96-foot-high, 167,000-sq.-ft. dome on this 118-acre campus recently began hosting youth teams. But that’s just the start for Future Legends Complex, located an hour north of Denver. Construction continues on the project, which includes a professional stadium, eight baseball diamonds, 10 multipurpose fields, and two on-site hotels. Pickleball and beach volleyball are also available, but the dome is the real game changer, as it allows for year-round activities. Basketball, volleyball, and football are just a few options for the indoor venue.

Gulf Shores Sportsplex Pickleball Courts
Gulf Shores, Alabama
New

Capitalizing on the country’s biggest sports craze, Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events is excited to have 12 new lighted pickleball courts at its Gulf Shores Sportsplex. With warm weather year-round, the region is primed to be a hot spot for pickleball events. The courts opened in December 2022.

Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park
Loudoun County, Virginia
New

The 257-acre regional park in Aldi, Virginia, adds 17 new fields to the D.C. suburbs. Opened last year, Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park features 10 multipurpose rectangular fields, four baseball/softball diamonds, a cricket field, and two additional turf surfaces. Four tennis/pickleball courts are available too. There is also an amphitheater and disc golf course.

Hampton Virginia Aquaplex
Hampton, Virinia
New

Following the grand opening in late October 2022, the Hampton Virginia Aquaplex is sure to make a big splash in its first year of operation. The venue was built to host mid-Atlantic and national competitive swimming and diving events, artistic swimming, water polo, and more. Spectator seating for 1,500 overlooks the eight-lane, 50-meter pool with two movable bulkheads. A splash park will be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Hickory Junction Sports Complex
Lebanon, Indiana
In the Works

The Indianapolis suburbs are going to test whether there can be too much of a good thing. In October 2022, a groundbreaking ceremony marked a significant milestone for the Hickory Junction Sports Complex, which will be a veritable stone’s throw away from Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield, Indiana. The $400 million project includes the 200,000-sq.-ft. indoor facility, new hotels, and restaurant and shopping options. The field house is being fitted for eight basketball and volleyball courts, and two multipurpose fields for football, soccer, lacrosse, and Little League. Projections call for a 2024 debut for the project led by Card & Associates, a local giant in athletic complexes like Grand Park.

Henrico County Sports Complex 
Henrico County, Virginia
In the Works

Construction continues on the long-awaited Henrico County Sport Complex at Virginia Center Commons outside of Richmond. The development, which will feature 12 NCAA-sized basketball courts and 24 volleyball courts, plus a championship venue with 3,500 permanent seats, will further add to this youth sports hotbed. In addition to the new site, the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority was established in 2022 to build on the 160 tournaments Henrico hosted in 2021 that generated nearly $60 million in economic activity. The site should be done later this year and events will start playing there in 2024.

Legends Event Center
Bryan, Texas
New

Championship basketball (eight courts) and volleyball (16 courts) tournaments, dance and cheer competitions, and more are sure to be headed to the 120,000-sq.-ft. Legends Event Center in Bryan, Texas. There are 18 esports stations at the complex that opened in late 2022 and is being helmed by general manager Jamie Cox, an industry veteran. It is part of the SFN portfolio of venues.

Memphis Sports and Events Center
Memphis
Now Open

Just outside Liberty Park sits the latest and greatest reason to bring sporting events to Memphis. The 227,000-sq.-ft. Memphis Sports and Events Center includes 16 basketball and 32 volleyball courts and seating for 3,500 spectators. More than 2 million athletes, parents, fans, and officials are expected to come through the center’s doors in 2023. 

Moyer Sports Complex
Salem, Virginia
New

Virginia Blue Ridge’s dynamic duo of John Shaner and Carey Harveycutter are getting an improved tool to further sell the scenic destination. A $27.5 million upgrade of Moyer Sports Complex in Salem is underway. Field upgrades, better parking, and three pickleball courts are part of the plan to ensure the venue remains capable of hosting major championships. Moyer Sports Complex comes back online in 2024.

Patriot Park North
Fairfax, Virginia
Coming Soon

It took 20 years, but Patriot Park North is almost ready to swing into action off Braddock Road in Fairfax, Virginia. The venue, slated to open in spring 2023, will consist of four 90-foot diamonds and two 70-foot fields for baseball and softball. Its location makes the park extremely close to George Mason University and a short drive from Washington, D.C.

Ripken Experience Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Coming Soon

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken made Elizabeth his ol’ Kentucky home for his fourth sports complex. Ripken Experience Elizabethtown will sport 12 synthetic turf fields upon its opening day in April. Weeklong offerings allow visitors to explore the entire region, which is filled with family-friendly activities—a model seen at Ripken’s sites in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Aberdeen, Maryland.

 

Photo Credit: The Sports Facilities Network