The head of Dallas’ new pro women’s volleyball team signaled interest Tuesday in moving the team to downtown Dallas, just days after the team’s debut at the Comerica Center in Frisco.
Grady Raskin, president and CEO of Major League Volleyball’s Dallas Pulse, told members of the council’s ad hoc committee on sports recruitment and retention that it “probably makes some sense” sharing an arena with the Dallas Wings, who are planning to relocate from Arlington to the city’s Memorial Auditorium in 2027.
“We will be sharing with somebody,” Raskin said. “Obviously, if it’s another female sports team, that would seem to make some sense.”
One leading council member appeared receptive to the idea, while stressing that any move would hinge on a clear financial case and taxpayer justification.
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Raskin’s comments come as Dallas seeks to solidify its role in North Texas’ competitive professional sports market. While many teams bear the city’s name, several play in the suburbs.
In recent years, Dallas officials have turned to women’s sports as a way to bring teams downtown, including the Wings and the women’s soccer team, Dallas Trinity FC, playing at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park.
The committee chair, Chad West, said the city would need more discussion of the team’s finances as Dallas weighs efforts about the team coming into the city.
As talks continue, “those numbers are going to be really important,” West said. “We’ve got to justify to our taxpayers, you know, the expenditures we would make to try to bring you here.”
The Pulse drew nearly 4,000 fans to its first game on Jan. 10, and Raskin said the team would likely need a larger venue than the 6,000-seat Frisco arena to accommodate growing demand for women’s volleyball at the collegiate and pro levels.
Raskin said the Pulse could eventually need an 8,000- to 12,000-seat facility, probably shared with another team. He told council members the team’s current lease at the Comerica Center expires at the end of the 2027 season.
The renovated Dallas Memorial Auditorium is estimated to seat more than 9,000 people.
“We know the demand will be there,” Raskin said.
The Pulse now shares the Comerica Center with the Dallas Mavericks’ G-League team, the Texas Legends. He said parking problems at the Pulse’s first game left fans stuck in traffic in the parking garages for up to 30 minutes just to get in and out of the arena.