The Lexington Sports Club has made its home at the multi-purpose Toyota Stadium in Georgetown for its debut season. The club has played in what’s known as USL League One, the third tier of American Men’s Pro Soccer.
Stephen Dawahare, a business partner on the new stadium venture to be situated near existing youth soccer fields, says it’s a sport that’s only gaining in popularity.
"What's real fun and exciting is that it's one of the fastest growing, if not the fastest growing, sports in our country for men's and women's" he said. "We've got the World Cup coming to our country in a couple years. That's going to continue to be very exciting for our own country. For our own players, this is big."
Another big announcement: the stadium will also play host to the USL Super League, a new women’s pro soccer league.
And the construction schedule is a speedy one. What exists right now as an expansive gravel field is expected become a stadium in just ten months.
Lexington Sporting Club owner Bill Shively said, "It's a very sophisticated grass field that has heat and vacuum systems under it, and we're going to build that just like the Cincinnati team did with a group out of Cincinnati, and then the stadium is done by the same group that does the PGA tour."
Officials ranging from Gov. Andy Beshear to Mayor Linda Gorton and council members were on hand to celebrate what they say will be a new destination in Lexington, drawing tourist dollars, creating new jobs, and serving as a spot for young players to mix and mingle and learn from the pros.
The 5,000-seat stadium is set for completion in August of 2024, with the potential to expand to up to 11,000 seats depending on the popularity of the venue. The name has yet to be announced.
