The breakdown
Frisco’s Toyota Stadium, where the championship has been held since 2010, will not host the 2026 and 2027 NCAA FCS Championship due to the stadium’s upcoming renovations, according to a Dec. 12 news release from Visit Frisco.
“The city of Frisco and Toyota Stadium are incredible partners and have helped grow our championship to an exceptional level the past 15 years,” said Ty Halpin, NCAA director of championships, in the release. “Frisco holds a special place in the history of the championship and in the hearts of our institutions and fans. The committee looks forward to seeing the renovations to the stadium in Frisco.”
The games will instead be held at the Vanderbilt campus in Nashville, Tennessee, according to a Dec. 12 announcement from the NCAA. Frisco officials did explore alternative locations inside the city and will work to keep the FCS game in the city after 2028, Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said in the Visit Frisco release.
"We have shown the NCAA we will continue to invest in our infrastructure to optimize the game experience for the FCS Championship,” Cheney said. “This event was heavily considered in the stadium renovations, underscoring our commitment to offer the best game experience and facility."
The setup
The renovations taking place at Toyota Stadium are one piece of a $182 million package and incentive agreement approved in September. One major part of the plans—and the reason for the stadium being unable to host until 2028—is work to expand the stadium’s overall seating capacity from 19,000 seats to over 22,000, install more shade coverings, upgrade the broadcast technology and more.
Aside from renovations, Toyota Stadium will also see construction geared towards creating a mixed-use space surrounding the venue that will include a parking garage, retail spaces, office spaces and a hotel.
Per the city’s September agreement, renovations in the stadium itself must begin before the end of 2025 and finish before the end of 2028. The 2025 FCS Championship game will still take place in Frisco as its last before the two-year pause.
Work related to building the mixed-use district around the stadium has a slightly different timeline, with construction on Phase 1A and 1B required to finish in 2035 and 2038, respectively.
Toyota Stadium’s renovations are “a necessary step” for the facility’s future growth, said Jimmy Smith, chief operating officer and chief financial officer for FC Dallas, in the Visit Frisco release.
“We're confident the improvements will make the stadium an even better venue for future events,” Smith said. “We're excited to work with the NCAA for the opportunity to bring the championship back to Frisco in 2028 and beyond."
