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Monterey Bay F.C. Breaks Ground on Cardinale Stadium

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 09/16/21, 1:25PM EDT

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New USL Championship club, Cardinale Auto Group partner on Stadium Naming Rights


A rendering of Cardinale Stadium on the campus of California State University, Monterey Bay, which will become the home of Monterey Bay F.C. when it joins the USL Championship for the 2022 season next spring.

SEASIDE, Calif. – Monterey Bay Football Club on Thursday hosted an event for two major announcements – the groundbreaking for the new USL Championship club’s stadium on the campus of California State University, Monterey Bay and a partnership between the club and Cardinale Auto Group. The shared-use stadium is now named Cardinale Stadium thanks to the multi-year partnership and investment of Cardinale Auto Group. 

“We are creating a place at Cardinale Stadium that will gather our community and celebrate the diversity and beauty of both the people and place that represent the Monterey Bay region,” said Monterey Bay F.C. Chairman and Owner Ray Beshoff. “We know from listening to the community that what is most important to them was for us to create a club and stadium that is the greatest union of land and sea. We will have that in Cardinale Stadium. I want to personally thank President Ochoa, CSUMB leadership, Joe Cardinale and most importantly the fans that are making today possible.”   

In attendance at the groundbreaking were CSUMB President Eduardo M. Ochoa, USL President Jake Edwards, Monterey Bay F.C. Chairman and Owner Ray Beshoff and Cardinale Auto Group President Joe Cardinale. They were joined by representatives from the Monterey County business community and CSUMB students and faculty. 

“I am humbled and honored to be a part of this community and to be able to give back by supporting the creation of a place that will gather our community under one banner; that place will be Cardinale Stadium,” said Cardinale Auto Group President Joe Cardinale. “Thank you to President Ochoa, Ray and most importantly our community. You are my family, friends and home. I can’t wait to cheer on Monterey Bay F.C. with all of you on Opening Night.”

Cardinale Stadium will be a shared-use facility. It will serve as the home venue for Monterey Bay F.C. as it joins the Championship for the 2022 season, as well as a place to showcase CSUMB teams and games, and will continue to serve as a place to gather for graduation, festivals and events. Monterey Bay F.C. is privately investing over $11 million in renovations to the existing stadium and facilities on the campus of CSUMB –previous home field to the Fort Ord Warriors, a former semi-pro American Football team comprised of military service members. More recently, the stadium has been used for CSUMB graduation prior to COVID-19.

Renovations and upgrades include: new seating and stands that feature designated sections for students and supporters; concessions and merchandise; on-site, state of the art broadcast infrastructure; hospitality and premium seating; newly renovated locker rooms in the fieldhouse; FIFA-approved turf and four 90-foot high poles with broadcast sports lighting for night matches. In addition, Monterey Bay F.C. and Alvarado Street Brewery are constructing, what will be, one of the largest beer gardens for a USL soccer stadium to create a place of before, during and after the matches for fans to share a pint of local beer. HOK, a global design and architecture firm responsible for world-class facilities such as Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, have led the design of the project. Construction will be led by Otto, a local builder who recently completed the VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic in Marina and the CSUMB College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Pre-construction is already underway with the stadium scheduled for completion in spring 2022.

“We are bringing the world’s game to Monterey County, and in turn we have the opportunity to showcase California State University, Monterey Bay to the world,” said CSUMB President Eduardo M. Ochoa. “Monterey Bay F.C. and their partners are creating a better place for students, and not just by their matches. They are building pipelines for our students to work and play in professional sports and creating amenities and an environment that helps us retain our diverse and emerging workforce for our region.”   

Cardinale Stadium is one of the more than 25 new stadiums expected in the USL over the next three to five years. Through USL’s partnership with ESPN+ and numerous global partners, more than 100 million linear and digital homes in 55 countries will have the opportunity to watch matches hosted at Cardinale Stadium on the CSUMB campus. Viewers will be able to easily identify the location, not just based on the incorporation of Monterey Bay F.C.’s crest and colors, but also by the iconic Cypress trees that frame the stadium.

“When audiences watch Monterey Bay F.C. play on their home pitch, they will need no introduction to its star player – the Monterey Bay region,” said USL President Jake Edwards. “This has long been a place for generations that celebrated and played soccer. Now this community has a professional men’s soccer team to call their own. USL could not be more honored to be in this market, to collaborate and support these extraordinary partnerships and to help grow the world’s game with passionate fans.”    

Monterey Bay F.C. is currently accepting seat deposits for its 2022 USL Championship Inaugural Season. Learn more about Monterey Bay F.C. by following @MontereyBayFC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and online at MontereyBayFC.com.

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