The BBVA Stadium, formerly known as the BBVA Compass Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium situated in Houston, Texas. It is the home stadium of the Houston Das, Houston Dynamos, as well as the Texas Southern Tigers football. The stadium took two years to build, and it costs about $106 million. The budget to make the BBVA stadium was a joint effort from the City of Houston and the Houston Dynamo. It’s called the BBVA Stadium because its significant sponsor company is the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. In this article, we are going to know more about the history of BBVA Stadium.

History

The financing and negotiations for the stadium started in June 2009. Different locations were considered for the stadium, such as Pearland, Sugar Land, and the former Astroworld site. In January 2012, the Houston Dynamo said that they wanted the 30-acre land located at South Rice Avenue and Westpark Drive to the new stadium’s location. The said land is adjacent to Bellaire’s city limits, and it is near the Intestate 610 interchanges and the southwest corner of Highway 59 and Interstate 69.

However, two days later, after the Houston Dynamo expressed their interest in the land. However, the then-mayor of Bellaire, Cindy Seigel, said that she would do whatever she can to stop the project to continue. She said that the land is situated in Houston’s city limits, and it only borders her city. She also said the fans on the east and north side of Houston would have difficulty getting to the location.

In April 2010, the Houston City Council decided to unanimously approve an agreement that paved the way for a new stadium for the Texas Southern University football team and the Houston Dynamo. The said land was located on a tract of land bordered by Dowling, Texas, Hutchins, and Walker. That same year, Harris County commissioners voted to begin the construction of the new Dynamo stadium. The construction started sometime in February 2011.

Then-president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo, Oliver Luck, announced that they chose Populous to design and build the stadium. Populous is an architectural firm that specializes in sports facilities, convention centers, and arenas. The firm also made the NRG Stadium, Minute Maid Park, and the Toyota Center.

In February 2010, the Houston Dynamo and Harris County Judge Emmett broke ground on the Houston Dynamo Stadium site. In December that same year, BBVA Compass managed to acquire the stadium’s naming rights with a 10-year contract amounting to a whopping $20 million. In May 2012, the BBVA Stadium was finally completed, and the first-ever game and soccer match was held on May 10, 2012, and it was a game between Houston Dynamo and the United States U-17 Men’s soccer team.

The BBVA Stadium can accommodate up to 22,039 people, and it has 1,100 club seats, 34 private suites, and a food court and dedicated supporters stand. Populous designed the stadium to accommodate FIFA and MLS standard international football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, and concerts.