'Best Facility Debut'? That's Globe Life Field

December 14th, 2020

ARLINGTON -- Globe Life Field has been honored as the Best Facility Debut in the year-end awards announced by Sports Business Journal on Monday.

The 13 announced awards celebrate achievements and impact in 2020 and supplement SBJ’s long-standing tradition of honoring winners each year with its Sports Business Awards.

Globe Life Field was built in partnership between the Rangers and the city of Arlington for $1.2 billion. It includes a retractable roof for climate-controlled comfort, an artificial playing surface and a wide variety of dining and entertainment options at all levels of the facility.

The park holds approximately 40,000 fans, but an official grand opening was delayed by the national crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening Day was scheduled for March 31 but was cancelled because of the Major League Baseball shutdown.

The first game finally took place on July 24, when the Rangers opened the abbreviated season with a 1-0 victory over the Rockies. The Rangers ended up playing 30 games, all without any fans in the stands.

The facility was still selected by MLB as a neutral site for the postseason and ended up hosting the National League Division Series, Championship Series and the World Series, with 25 percent capacity allowed through the state of Texas.

Globe Life Field was also the site of the National Finals Rodeo in December, with limited capacity seating that was sold out for 10 straight nights.