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The Dallas Jackals will play their first home season of Major League Rugby at Globe Life Park, the team announced on Friday. Also confirmed is an ownership group that includes Dallas Mavericks President and GM Donnie Nelson and Neil Leibman, co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of the Texas Rangers.
Located in Arlington, the 48,000-seat baseball stadium was the home of the Rangers until the end of the 2019 Major League Baseball season. It has since been repurposed and housed the Dallas Renegades of the XFL this year with North Texas SC to play there when USL League One resumes.
The choice of venue is a significant departure from plans to play at Reverchon Park in central Dallas. A new 3,500-seat stadium is to be built there after winning approval from City Council in January, but construction has been delayed and the facility will not be ready in time for the 2021 season. It’s not clear if the Reverchon redevelopment remains in the team’s plans moving forward.
While the size of the venue would make it easily the largest in MLR use, it may yet be dwarfed should the LA Giltinis succeed in negotiations to play at LA Memorial Coliseum. Located near downtown Los Angeles, the home of the USC Trojans football team boasts a capacity of 77,500 following a $315 million renovation project completed last year.
