‘The right home.’ Lexington Sporting Club announces home venue for inaugural 2023 season.
Less than a month before the start of its debut season, Lexington Sporting Club has announced where it will play home games.
On Friday morning, LSC announced that Toyota Stadium, near the Georgetown College campus in Georgetown, will be used as the club’s home stadium for the 2023 season.
According to a press release, LSC has entered into a multi-year partnership with Georgetown College for the use of Toyota Stadium, which will serve as LSC’s temporary home ground while the club builds its own stadium.
LSC will play its first two games in USL League One – the third division of men’s professional soccer in the United States – on March 18 and April 1 away.
LSC will then travel to play Louisville City in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Wednesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium in downtown Louisville before finally having a home game in Georgetown on April 8.
“Finding the right home for 2023 was important to us, and we couldn’t be happier with our partnership with Georgetown College,” said Bill Shively, the principal owner of Lexington Sporting Club, in the press release. “There are many variables to consider when looking for a home while pursuing our own football-specific stadium. We want to create a fan-friendly atmosphere and we need to make sure we offer the team a professional environment.”
LSC spent their preparation for the season at Transylvania University in Lexington.
Worth knowing about the Toyota Stadium
Toyota Stadium is a 5,000-seat stadium that houses the football, lacrosse, and soccer teams of Georgetown College, an NAIA school located about 13 miles north of Lexington.
The stadium previously hosted the Kentucky High School Soccer State Championships and the venue was formerly the longtime home of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals training camp.
“By partnering with Lexington SC, Georgetown College is able not only to provide our student-athletes with a world-class athletic experience, but also to bring professional sports to Scott County,” said Dr. Rosemary Allen, President of Georgetown College, in the press release. “The economic impact on the local community will be a significant benefit for the region and for young football players as LSC and GC will work together to offer summer football camps. We look forward to the many opportunities that students, athletes, families and the community will enjoy when Lexington SC takes place at Georgetown College.”
Ahead of LSC’s debut season in USL League One – which will include at least 16 home games during the regular season, in addition to potential playoff games and additional games in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup – the club has announced that several facility upgrades will take place Toyota Stadium.
This includes the installation of a new artificial turf pitch.
“This partnership sends a signal that Georgetown College is a destination for athletics and the wider community. Throughout the process, it has been easy to work with Lexington SC and ensure this project gets done by making their leadership team available,” Georgetown College vice president of athletics Brian Evans said in the press release.
According to LSC, the new artificial turf pitch will match the seven-pitch LSC football complex on Athens Boonesboro Road in Lexington.
The $20 million complex will serve as the home base for LSC and its youth academy.
According to the LSC, the first three fields of this complex are scheduled to open within the next 60 days and the rest of the facility will be completed by the end of spring.
In late January, the Urban County Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a zoning change for the proposed 6,500-seat LSC stadium and training and medical complex on Athens Boonesboro Road.
The commission also approved a conditional occupancy permit for the construction of the stadium, but further permits are still required.
The zone change now goes to Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, which can hold a hearing and either accept or reject the commission’s recommendation.
This represents the biggest step forward LSC has made in building a permanent home after initial efforts – including a proposed stadium in downtown Lexington – fizzled.
LSC is yet to reveal kits ahead of the debut season
With the inaugural season less than a month from launch, LSC still has some work to do.
The home game is now settled, but LSC has not yet revealed its home or away kits or its main sponsors for these uniforms for the 2023 season.
The club have announced their squad for 2023 and are in the middle of a string of pre-season games.
ticket information
Lexington Sporting Club has sold out of home game ticket supplies for the 2023 season.
According to LSC, ticket details for season ticket depot holders will be sent via email, and information for those on the waitlist will follow at a later date.
Fans who would like to be placed on the season ticket waitlist before tickets go on sale can do so here.