A new soccer field has been installed at the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, allowing New York City FC’s (NYCFC) reserve team to use the stadium for home games.
The 5,000-seater stadium, previously only compatible with track and field events, will host its inaugural soccer match by September.
NYCFC provided the Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA) with a $3 million donation to install a Kentucky bluegrass soccer field at the stadium, enabling its reserve team NYCFC II to play home games there.
Construction on the new field started last August and involved widening the existing track field, which was too narrow to host a regulation soccer game. The stadium’s long jump and triple jump runways, which were previously located inside the running track, have been relocated to the outermost edge of the track to accommodate the expansion. The stadium’s drainage and irrigation systems have also been improved as part of the project.
NYCFC Chief Operating Officer Jennifer O’Sullivan said the venue is “uniquely located”, adding that the club is excited to bring professional soccer to an “under-utilized” part of New York City.
“As you look out from the grandstand, you’ve got the Manhattan skyline as your backdrop,” O’Sullivan said. “You’ve got the borough of Queens a few steps away. You’ve got the Bronx on the other side. This is a facility that is right in the heart of New York City, but it has been under-utilized.
“It’s an iconic venue for track and field, but we saw that the opportunity was there to be able to hold professional soccer games.
“It provides so many kids in the city with another front-row seat to see high-quality soccer being played and it’s in a place where they play every day. Now they can see the NYCFC II players, many of whom have come up through our academy and are now playing as professionals.”
RIPA President Deborah Maher said the new soccer field will help ” diversify ” Randall’s Island’s sports offerings and provide New Yorkers with access to high-level sports.
“We always had this high-level track and field capacity, but to offer soccer, which is such an upcoming sport in the United States and New York, gives our community the chance to touch it firsthand.
“Randall’s Island Park is in the middle of three boroughs, Manhattan, the Bronx and Queen, and it
will give thousands of people the opportunity to see high-level soccer and enjoy it.”
NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in a statement that the new field was the result of a
“transformative investment” from NYCFC.
“This state-of-the-art facility signifies our commitment to athletics and community engagement while ensuring that Randall’s Island Park remains a vibrant hub for recreational activities and special events,” Donoghue said in a statement.
NYCFC II will not have exclusive access to the new field, with sports such as rugby and lacrosse also
set to take place at the Icahn Stadium.
Maher said said RIPA is exploring the possibility of hosting high-level amateur-level soccer games at
the stadium, depending on availability.
“This is a really nice pitch and we have to learn how many hours (of play) can be on it before it gets
degraded to a point where it’s not in great shape,” Maher said.
O’Sullivan said NYCFC supports other sports and “unique” soccer events taking place on the new pitch, pointing to the upcoming Ford Classic soccer charity match between the FDNY and the NYPD, which will take place at Icahn Stadium on Sept. 23.
NYCFC II currently plays its home games at Belson Stadium, a 2,168-seater stadium located on the campus of St. John’s University at Utopia Parkway and Union Turnpike in Queens.
NYCFC II will not play all of its home games at Icahn Stadium and will continue to maintain a relationship with St. John’s University.
O’Sullivan said the club will continue to play a “significant number” of home games at Belson Stadium, alternating between the two venues.
“This will allow the NYCFC II team to have that experience of playing on a professional-grade grass pitch, which they don’t have at St. John’s. However, that relationship with St. John’s has been so pivotal to us on our journey and we’re looking forward to continuing that partnership.”
Icahn Stadium will continue to offer high-level track and field events, with Maher saying that the stadium will host track and field events during the spring and summer before pivoting to soccer and other field sports in the fall and winter when track and field is out of season.
Icahn Stadium opened on Randall’s Island in April 2005, replacing the historic Downing Stadium,
which hosted Jesse Owen’s trials for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
The new stadium also hosts a variety of high-profile track and field events, including Olympic trials and trainings. The venue features a World Athletics Class 1 certified running track and has hosted countless international, national, and regional track and field events.
