Rangers fans gather at Texas Live! Photographed on October 27th with AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in the background.
In a study published last week, sports business journal Arlington is ranked the 6th Best Business and Sports City in the United States and the highest ranking of any Texas city.
The city has been awarded numerous high-profile sporting events over the past five years, including the 2018 NFL Draft, WrestleMania 38, the 2023 Women's Volleyball Nations League Finals, college football's Goodyear Classic Bowl Game, and more. .
Matt Wilson, Arlington's senior vice president of sporting events, said the rankings are encouraging.
“Anytime our city is recognized for something Arlingtonians have invested in, I think that’s really good recognition,” Wilson said.
But Arlington's sports profile goes beyond the events it hosts. The city is home to several professional sports teams, including the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, MLB's Texas Rangers, UFL's Arlington Renegades, WNBA's Dallas Wings, Major League Rugby's Dallas Jackals, and MLS Next Pro North Texas SC. there is.
To accommodate these teams, Arlington has four venues used for sporting events throughout the year: AT&T Stadium, Choctaw Stadium, Globe Life Field, and UTA's College Park Center.
Wilson said the city is proud to host a professional team because it gives people a reason to come to Arlington.
“That led to the expansion of the red-light district,” he says. “The more home teams we have, the more things happen. People want to have more places to go.”
Arlington has made it a priority to give people a reason to stay in the city instead of going to Dallas or Fort Worth to watch a sporting event, whether it's for food, drinks or shopping. Ta.
In the near future, the city is scheduled to host major sporting events, including the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, 2026 FIFA World Cup 9 games, and the 2030 NCAA Men's College Basketball Final Four.
“I’m so proud to see this community invest so much and finally see it being recognized,” Wilson said. “I'm finally starting to see a vision.”
Wilson started working for the city in 2013. At that time, Globe Life Park, now Choctaw Stadium and AT&T Stadium, was located, and there was a big separation from downtown.
The expansion of the city's entertainment district is bringing more hotel rooms and entertainment options to the city, and it is incumbent on the city to continue moving up in the rankings, Wilson said. He said he was happy with the No. 6 ranking, but felt the city could go higher.
“We’re really just getting started,” he said.
@isaacappelt
sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
