“You look at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, I think that is a really good example of the level of events that we’re going to be able to bring in here,” Miller said. “When you look at the U.S. men’s national team, women’s national team, international friendlies, this stadium is going to be a much better facility for soccer than Soldier Field, for instance.”
Chicago Fire FC and GenslerA slice of Chicago
Moriarty has been in Chicago since 2010, but has spent more than half a decade working in various roles with Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, and eventually the Fire in 2023. It provided him insight not only into Chicago’s sports culture but also the Fire’s shifting place in it since Mansueto’s arrival.
The team has overhauled its offices, bringing in a new president, head of people and culture, head of ticketing, head of guest experience, and head of partnerships. It’s taken big swings at international free agents, including Neymar and Kevin de Bruyne, and, while averaging more than 25,000 fans through 11 matches, is on pace to increase attendance yet again.
Of the thousands of season ticket deposits the team has already received for the new stadium, Moriarity said he’s been surprised by how many have come from new fans who’ve never bought a Fire ticket. He attributes the enthusiasm both to the stadium’s private funding and to its initial marketing push.
“The day we rolled things out, I was in the office at 4:15 a.m. We had 20 people in the office by 4:30. We had stories landing at 4:30 and 5, and we had the full-page ads loading, and it was great, because you had this wave of fans waking up and seeing the news,” Moriarty said. “That was the first step in many steps of getting a stadium built open for ‘28, but we’re just excited about the stage for growth and the excitement and the passion around the stadium. If I’m going to wake up at 4 a.m., this is the sort of project I like waking up for.”