Sports stats



Atlanta Beat Announces Stadium Plans

December 1, 2009 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
Atlanta Beat News Release


Kennesaw, GA (Dec. 1, 2009) - Atlanta Beat Owner Fitz Johnson and Kennesaw State University President Dr. Daniel S. Papp announced a partnership to construct a $16.5 million, 8,300-seat soccer stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The stadium, located on a 21-acre parcel of land, lies between George Busbee Parkway and the I-575 overpass on Big Shanty Road. It will be home to both the Atlanta Beat Women's Professional Soccer team and the KSU Owls women's soccer program.

"This stadium will be the only women's soccer-specific stadium of its kind in the world," said Beat Owner Johnson. "I think this partnership is a great match between KSU and the Atlanta Beat."

"This first-class facility is the perfect venue in which to showcase our championship women's soccer program," said KSU President Dr. Papp.

Scheduled for completion in Spring 2010, the stadium will host all Atlanta Beat home games for the team's 2010 inaugural season.

"We are honored and excited to be in the process of building this stadium," said Beat General Manager Shawn McGee. "Our goal is to make this facility the focus for soccer in the southeast and to take soccer to new level in this area of the country."

"We certainly hope to host US National Team soccer games, the NCAA College Cup, and international friendlies in addition to all of our WPS games."

The stadium will function primarily for soccer events with sideline, family section, on-field and suite level seating. However, it also accommodates up to 16,000 patrons as a concert venue. ####

About the Atlanta Beat The Atlanta Beat joins Women's Professional Soccer as one of two expansion teams in the 2010 season.

Atlanta entrepreneur Fitz Johnson secured the rights to the Atlanta team in September 2008 before naming Shawn McGee as General Manager and Gareth O'Sullivan as Head Coach in the summer of the following year.

On June 18, 2009, the Atlanta Beat officially became the ninth franchise in WPS as Johnson, McGee, WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin unveiled the team name, logo and colors. The Beat acquired its first official players through the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft and 2009 International Draft in mid-September and will complete its roster with the 2010 WPS Draft in January.

Atlanta's new team takes on the same name as the market's former Women's United Soccer Association club which was the only WUSA team to reach the playoffs in every season.

The Beat's colors are Ferrari Red, Championship Gold, and Black.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from December 1, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central