AT&T Stadium is set to host nine FIFA World Cup games this summer, the most of any venue. However, if one were to look at FIFA’s official schedule, they wouldn’t know the matches were in Arlington.
Due to sponsorship regulations, FIFA requires stadiums to be renamed to reflect their host city. Therefore, Lincoln Financial Field is referred to as Philadelphia Stadium, and NRG Stadium as Houston Stadium.
But AT&T Stadium isn’t named for Arlington. FIFA has labeled it after a city with a downtown over 20 miles away: Dallas Stadium.
There’s not even a compromise, as with Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, which is referred to as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in FIFA materials.
This is nothing new. For years, events held in “The American Dream City” have marketed themselves as anything but Arlington.
When the Super Bowl was hosted at AT&T Stadium in 2011, its logo read “North Texas.” In 2014 and 2015, the Final Four and the College Football Playoff National Championship, respectively, used similar regional branding. For WrestleMania 38, the WWE referred to the AT&T Stadium as being in Dallas.
These events should be Arlington’s opportunity to advertise itself as an entertainment capital of the region, but the vagueness of “North Texas” or the inaccuracy of “Dallas” makes Arlington lose out on what could be international recognition.
Omissions of Arlington aren’t exclusive to venues, but also apply to professional teams. When the MLB’s Washington Senators moved to Arlington in 1972 they named themselves the Texas Rangers after the state, something only two other teams did at the time.
The issue evened out, however, as the team’s home, Turnpike Stadium, was renamed Arlington Stadium before the move-in. When a new stadium opened in 1994, it was named The Ballpark in Arlington.
When the Rangers moved to a new stadium in 2020, the city name didn’t move with them. The new ballpark was simply Globe Life Field, which ended 48 years of their home stadium representing their home city.
The old ballpark was renamed Choctaw Stadium, which left out Arlington’s name for the first time since it opened. Additionally, Arlington’s only professional team namesake, the United Football League’s Arlington Renegades, relocated to Frisco, Texas, and rebranded as the Dallas Renegades ahead of the 2026 season.
All of this now means that no major professional sport has a team named Arlington or has the city in the stadium’s name.
High-level athletics are this city’s strong suit. It may seem tedious, but simply hearing an announcer say “Arlington” over the air, whether by way of a team or stadium name, makes everyone know that the teams and events they watch are supported by the city and its people, and that Arlington brings them what they love to watch.
These issues have even breached UTA’s own College Park Center, home of the Dallas Wings.
Last month, Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling held its Texas Stampede event at the venue with promotions that read “Dallas.” In about a month, unscripted wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle will hold RAF 09 at the arena, and is expected to use similar branding.
One may argue that Arlington isn’t a nationally recognized city, and promoting an event as taking place in Dallas may bring more perceived legitimacy to it. However, Arlington could be a nationally recognized city if it were promoted as such.
Additionally, concerts seem to have no problem with accurate city labeling. Large-scale musical acts at UTA, AT&T Stadium and all the Rangers stadiums often list their locations correctly. So why can’t sporting events?
The solution is simple. Event organizers should stop mislabeling events in Arlington as being in Dallas. Arlington is a separate city in its own right, with nearly 400,000 residents, according to the city’s website. In addition, Arlington has a unique history and community that has built the city into what it is today.
The people of Dallas didn’t pay the taxes that put up these venues. Dallas City Hall doesn’t call the shots when it comes to coordinating traffic, logistics and infrastructure for the people coming to and from these places.
Omitting Arlington’s name from posters, merchandise and other branding for stadiums and events is a slight to the people who make those events possible and the city that supports them.
@TyRoland06