FC Dallas and the U.S. Soccer Federation announced Tuesday that the
National Soccer Hall of Fame, located at Toyota Stadium, will open Oct. 20 with a weekend of festivities.
The weekend will include the 2018 Enshrinement Ceremony on Oct. 20 for the newest members of the hall of fame, a concert Oct. 20, the 2018 Hall of Fame game on Oct. 21 with FC Dallas and a Major League Soccer opponent to be determined, and the North American Soccer League 50th anniversary match Oct. 21.
In July, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Club, locker rooms and media room—all attached to the hall of fame—will open.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a public-private partnership with FC Dallas, the city of Frisco, Frisco ISD and the U.S. Soccer Federation. The hall of fame is part of a $55 million renovation project at Toyota Stadium, including 3,355 new seats, a 3,000-square-foot soccer specialty store, new video boards and a banquet hall.
The hall of fame is also the first national sports hall of fame to be attached to a stadium. It will house an array of U.S. Soccer memorabilia and trophies, including the Women’s World Cup, Gold Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies. It will also be the permanent site for the annual National Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
"For the Hall of Fame members, I can tell you this: This is a place that is going to be inclusive, a place that we can learn, that we can educate, that we can share our stories, that we can interact and bring everyone together," 2005 Hall of Fame inductee John Harkes said during a press conference Tuesday.