Globe Life Park will house XFL, soccer teams

ARLINGTON -- Globe Life Park is preparing to be reconfigured so it can be the new home of two sports teams in the near future, the Rangers announced on Thursday.

After 26 years with the baseball club, Globe Life Park will be the home of the Dallas Renegades of the XFL and the North Texas Soccer Club of the USL League One.

“We were thrilled when the XFL, and the Dallas Renegades and North Texas SC, chose to come to come to Arlington and call Globe Life Park their home,” Rangers vice president Sean Decker said. “Today, we are excited to unveil the future of this great ballpark.”

Both teams bring a championship pedigree to Globe Life Park. The Renegades, getting ready for their inaugural season in February, are being led by head coach Bob Stoops, who won a national championship and 10 Big 12 Conference titles at the University of Oklahoma.

“We’ve been through the facility multiple times and we are going to have one of the best setups in the XFL,” Stoops said. “Globe Life Park, we’re excited about it, a great venue for people to watch football and soccer. I really believe there are a lot of great, exciting football players out there that are right on the edges of the NFL that will be fun and exciting to come out and watch. We’ll have an exciting team to watch.”

The North Texas Soccer Club is the development team of F.C. Dallas and recently won the regular season title. The club will begin the playoffs on Saturday.

“This is an exciting day for soccer in the area,” F.C. Dallas president Dan Hunt said. “I’m so proud to bring the North Texas Soccer Club to Arlington. This is a fulfillment on the part of our family to grow soccer in North Texas. What makes this special is that it is growing soccer in North Texas. To be able to share this with the Renegades and be able to build our own identity for our soccer club is a big deal for our family.”

The reconfiguration began this week with the removal of the baseball turf and seats in the right-field corner, along the third-base line, in the left-field corner, and in the left field reserved areas. The modules on the upper left field video board have been removed and will be used for the out-of-town scoreboard located in center field in the new ballpark.

The football field and soccer pitch will be built to run north and south along what was the first base/right field side of the park. The third-base dugout and the lower 18 rows of the third-base seating bowl (approximately 6,000 total seats) will be removed to accommodate the north end of the field. The south end zone of the field will begin approximately 50 feet out from the front row of the Home Run Porch.

The first-base dugout will remain with the tunnel to be used for access to the home locker rooms. A tunnel will be constructed in the north end zone for access to the visiting and officials’ locker rooms.

A synthetic grass field provided by Shaw Sports Turf will be installed by Paragon Sports Constructors. This is the same turf that will be used at Globe Life Field -- the Rangers' new home starting in 2020. The permanent field surface will be unmarked to allow for seamless field conversion. The appropriate field lines will be added for each event.

A permanent seating structure will be constructed on the field’s east side in the area that was previously left field, the visiting bullpen, and the left field reserved seating area. Approximately 4,000 seats will be added below the left field club level. The new configuration will provide access to rest rooms and concessions on Vandergriff Plaza.

The Rangers' old clubhouse will be renovated and enlarged for the Renegades. Stoops and his staff will have offices in this location as well. The current visiting clubhouse on the third base side will be the visiting football locker room with lockers being added to this area.

In addition, two new auxiliary locker rooms are being built in the area that previously housed the Rangers’ and visiting batting cages. Each locker room will accommodate up to 80 players and will have coaches’ offices and shower facilities. This will allow for the hosting of multiple events and teams on the same day.

“Starting up a new team in a professional football league demands planning, strategy and collaboration,” Renegades president Grady Raskin said. “Understanding this, it’s crucial to have amazing partners like the city of Arlington and the Texas Rangers. Their support and energy through this process is greatly appreciated. Our dreams are soon to become a reality. I am proud to be a part of an organization that will continue the legacy of this amazing Ballpark.”