In just its second season as the pioneering professional women’s soccer team in North Texas, Dallas Trinity FC is setting its sights on a historic milestone: the largest home crowd in club history.
That iconic occasion is expected to unfold when Trinity FC takes on Club América in a high-profile friendly at the iconic Cotton Bowl—scheduled for the final Saturday of the Texas State Fair.
“We’re hopeful we’ll see around 20,000 fans in the stadium,” said Jim Neil, Co-Founder and CEO.
With an estimated 125,000 fairgoers expected that day, Neil sees a golden opportunity to draw new supporters and amplify the team’s growing momentum.
Sports Roundup
Related
Club América, a powerhouse in the Mexican Women’s League, brings star power and a passionate fan base.
Their signature yellow and blue kits, same as with the legendary men’s side, are a familiar sight to thousands of Mexican-American fans across the U.S. who are expected to turn out in force.
In Mexico, its popularity is also undeniable.
The second leg of the Clausura 2023 final, played between América and Pachuca at Estadio Azteca, holds the attendance record for a Women’s Liga MX match, with 58,156 fans.
“Club América certainly brings a huge fan base, and they were very passionate and interested in expanding on that in Dallas,” said Trip Neil, Co-Founder and COO of Dallas Trinity FC.
The presence of Club América at the Cotton Bowl, Trinity FC’s home venue, seems like a smart business move, considering that 40% of Trinity’s fans are of Hispanic origin, according to Dori Araiza, Co-Founder and Principal of Dallas Trinity FC.
Related
“There is excitement around this match against América, and it’s a great opportunity for people to find joy in our team and want to come back to watch us play again,” said Araiza, who also oversees the club’s marketing, merchandising and social media efforts.
Professional women’s soccer in Mexico is still relatively new, having launched in winter 2017. Since then, América has stood out as one of the most important teams in the league.
América has played in four finals in the Women’s Liga MX and won the championship twice (2018 and 2023).
This season, they’re in third place in the standings, with nine wins, two losses, and two draws.
“In my opinion, América has the best players and plays the best soccer in Liga MX Femenil,” said Rogelio Martinez, a former women’s Cruz Azul coach who now works as an advisor to the Women’s Liga MX.
Trinity FC plays in the Gainbridge Super League (formerly the USL Super League), one of two top-tier professional women’s soccer leagues in the country (along with the more-tenured NWSL). In its first season, the team reached the postseason, and this year, it’s in fifth place among nine teams.
For Trinity FC’s owners, running a professional sports franchise has proven far more complex than it initially seemed.
“It’s much harder than we ever anticipated. I don’t think we could have imagined how much this would take over our lives. This is not a hobby. It’s a lifestyle,” Araiza said.
Even for Jim Neil, a seasoned investor with over 45 years of experience in real estate, Trinity FC has become a significant professional challenge.
“I’ve never worked harder on a project in my life,” Neil said. “Managing a professional sports franchise is not for the weak of heart.”
Neil is aware that launching a new team in Dallas is extremely difficult, given the presence of long-established franchises that dominate attention.
“Dallas is also one of the most competitive environments in the world in which to operate. So when you’re a new franchise working in a modality that hasn’t been explored before, such as professional women’s soccer, the challenge becomes even more interesting,” Neil said.
Trinity’s management hopes that the 2026 World Cup will help deepen local fans’ interest in Trinity FC.
Furthermore, the 2031 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in the United States with Dallas as a potential host city, could be a pivotal moment for Trinity FC to solidify itself as a successful sports franchise in North Texas.
By then, the club’s owners will have decided whether to move forward with plans to build their own stadium and training facilities.
Neil’s bet in bringing in Club América is that casual local sports fans will find a reason to attend the Cotton Bowl and become hooked on professional women’s soccer.
“The hardest part is getting that fan to come to their first game. So if we get 20,000 fans, there’ll probably be 15,000 who have never seen us play before, and that will be a great opportunity for us to reignite their love for soccer,” Neil said.
“They may find that women’s soccer is far more entertaining than they expected.”
Find more Dallas Trinity FC coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.