Dallas Wings to Downtown Dallas? A city council vote could open the door
DALLAS - Dallas City Council is expected to vote on a resolution Wednesday that would allow for a professional sports team to play at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Downtown Dallas.
A draft resolution posted in the agenda for Wednesday's city council meeting says that "a professional sports team has expressed desire to relocate to the City as its resident home base."
If approved, the resolution would allow the team, which is not named, to play games at Dallas Memorial Auditorium inside the convention center.
On Saturday night, the Dallas Wings confirmed they are the unnamed team.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 26: Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Dallas Wings drives against Kelsey Plum #10 of the Las Vegas Aces in the second quarter of Game Two of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs semifinals at Michelob ULTRA Arena on September 26, 2023 in La
"The Wings have had on-going talks with Mayor Johnson and Dallas officials about the City’s planned renovations to Memorial Auditorium. While there are many details that remain to be worked through, including approval by the Dallas City Council and the WNBA’s Board of Governors, the possibilities of relocating to downtown Dallas are boundless," said Greg Bibb, the president and CEO of the Dallas Wings in a statement.
Sources tell FOX 4 that the council does expect to vote on the resolution Wednesday.
If passed, it would allow the City Manager to execute a 15-year resident use and incentive agreement.
The agreement would also pay $19 million in incentives to the team over three years.
The draft resolution says the team will be required to occupy the space between April 15 to November 1. Those dates match up with the WNBA schedule.
The team would be required to occupy office and training facilities year-round, according to draft resolution.
"Women’s basketball has captured the nation’s attention like never before, and both the WNBA and the Wings are experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity. The City of Arlington, the University of Texas at Arlington, and College Park Center continue to be wonderful partners, and we look forward to continuing that relationship during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The City of Dallas’s proposal offers a fitting, world-class stage for our remarkable athletes and devoted fans and we look forward to commenting further at the appropriate time," said Bibb.
Under the terms, the team would agree to obtain a certificate of occupancy by March 1, 2026.
The Dallas Wings have played their games at College Park Center at The University of Texas at Arlington since they moved to North Texas from Tulsa in 2016.
College Park Center holds about 7,000 fans.
Dallas Memorial Auditorium holds close to 10,000 seats. It is expected to be renovated as part of a much larger facelift to the convention center, which was passed by voters in 2022.
Interest in the WNBA and women's college basketball is rapidly growing with the stardom of players like this years' No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin Clark's first game in a WNBA jersey will be in Arlington
The Dallas Wings' preseason will start with Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever coming to town.
The Wings will host Clark and the Indiana Fever in their preseason game on May 3.
It will be Clark's pro debut.
The cheapest tickets available for the game on the Wings' website are $199.