Editorial – This past Thursday, Rocky Mountain Soccer Journal reported that Colorado Rapids are “on track” to replace the much maligned scoreboard ahead of the 2027-28 MLS season. This among other details were shared by Club President Pádraig Smith during a town hall before the September 12 game against CF Montreal at DICK’s Sporting Goods Park. The event was open to Season Ticket Members.
No Burgundy Wave staff were in attendance. But sources tell Burgundy Wave that RMSJ’s reporting is accurate. Braidon does great work. You should subscribe to his newsletter.
The scoreboard has been a source of frustration for Rapids fans for years. On any given match day, you can count 15 or more that are faded or discolored. A handful will glitch or get stuck on one color. I counted as many as 30 bad pixels once.
Picture quality is poor. At times, text is hard to read. Then there’s the sun damage to the static lighted signage around it. Some gave it the nickname Moldy DICK’s. There’s also the display board at the northeast corner of 56th Ave and Quebec St that has not been working the last several years.
The sideline advertisement boards have also had issues of late. Sources tell Burgundy Wave those are also slated to be upgraded after the video board.
The video board sums up the state of the club: Neglected. Decaying. An afterthought. A franchise in need of attention and care. It’s a microcosm and a symbol for how underserved this asset is. Replacing the scoreboard will be welcomed news. It should have been done years ago. Would this happen at another KSE owned team? Would this happen at any other MLS team?
The naming rights for the stadium expire after this season. It’s probably easier to replace it with new naming rights money and certainty, even if DICK’s renews. ‘Would replacing it now and changing the signage later be so hard?’ asks the disgruntled supporter.
Many fans see it as less than the bare minimum. MLS expansion teams are building huge new stadiums. Other MLS original teams are renovating their MLS 2.0 stadiums. Teams are building $30 million facilities. Denver Summit built their training facility in less than a year at a cost $20-25 million. They’re going to build an amazing stadium just south of downtown. DSGP’s location is a topic unto itself.
The Rapids Community wants to believe that Moldy DICK’s will be replaced. Many won’t hold their breath. The club has swept infrastructure projects on the rug before.
No movement on Victory Crossing, three years later:
Commerce City acquired the 917-acre property that DSGP now sits on in 2004. The Rapids opened DSGP there in 2007. KSE paid $25 to lease the land the stadium is on through 2032 with an option to buy the land when the lease ends for $1. There’s also an option to buy the land the practice fields are on.
Stan Kroenke’s first and foremost a real estate developer. There’s pros and cons to buying, developing, and/or flipping land that’s undeveloped above grade in a growing real estate market. The area around the stadium is a mess of land rights. There have been patches owned by Adams County and Denver County. That has complicated things, regardless of the relationship the club has with Commerce City.
There were plans for future development initially called Prairie Gateway. In December 2010, shortly after Colorado Rapids won MLS Cup, the project was rebranded as Victory Crossing. There weren’t a lot details or renderings of what it was going to be, other than “the fusion of sports, commerce and wildlife.” The phrase stadium district hadn’t become the buzzword it is today.
There was a presentation in 2013 that had basic renderings and zoning for retail, office, and hotel space throughout the property. That did not include any further stadium or first team facility development.
Fast forward to 2023 and not much has changed. The prairie dog populations decreased after the plague game in 2019 but rebounded a few years later. Those two huge dirt lots to the west of the stadium are still there. The parking lots and open practice fields are about the same as they were 10 years ago. On the second floor of the west tower at DSGP, there is still a conference room that has the Victory Crossing logo on it.
The 2023 MLS season was one of the worst in Rapids history. They finished second-to-last in the league. The Robin Fraser Era ran out of gas. He was fired September 5. The roster clearly needed massive overhaul. The supporters got angry at everyone at some point that year, media included. IYKYK.
On September 14, Centennial 38 issued an open letter to the club touching on a number of issues. The majority of the blame was directed at KSE. The letter ended with the line, “The badge, the players, and the fans deserve better.” That Saturday, C38 staged a walkout during the first half of the game. Fans wore black shirts that said, “We’re invested. KSE are you?” Colorado went on to beat New England Revolution 2-1. It was their second home win of the season.
Josh Kroenke responded to the letter a club statement. There was a mention of “infrastructure projects” for the stadium and “the Club’s training environment.” It also states that they will be “finalizing the master plan” for Victory Crossing, which would be “ready in early 2024.”
KSE and Commerce City went on to have a college student challenge hosted by the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. I would not call a graduate-level real estate, urban planning, and architecture student competition “finalizing the master plan.” More like a Master’s student’s capstone project. There was a contentious city council meeting where a KSE representative asked that Commerce City split the cost of the $50,000 prize. KSE went on to pay the entire cost. Commerce City’s government website said the competition was to be completed May 2024.
Whatever came of that competition, nothing has been released in the two years since. If the scoreboard is scheduled to be replaced next summer, it’s hard to see a stadium district opening before then.
After the open letters and a protest, fans started focusing on the Victory Crossing sign at the corner of 56th Ave and Valentia St, south of the stadium. The sign had been there since 2012 and looked like it. It was removed by the final game of the season, October 21.
Last Wednesday was the three year anniversary of the fan protest. Colorado hosted St. Louis City in the Open Cup semifinal. St. Louis embarrassed the Pids 3-0. Maybe it was karma for Victory Crossing and relocating the Rams.
KSE has the money. They’ve chosen to spend it elsewhere.
It’s been a banner couple weeks for KSE elsewhere. They are set to buy a majority ownership of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at a $4 billion valuation. Just this week, KSE announced plans to renovate Ball Arena for $135 million. Target completion is before the 2028-29 season. The renderings look like a stadium district, even without the River Mile Project adjacent to the north. The Los Angeles Rams have one of the nicest stadiums in the NFL in SoFi Stadium. There’s reporting about Arsenal getting some stadium renovations as well.
KSE’s Colorado clubs have recently partnered with Kiewit Corporation, one of the most prominent construction firms in the country. They mostly do public infrastructure, such as the recent lowering of I-70 west of Commerce City. They did do work on SoFi. The Rapids announced Kiewit as their sleeve sponsor last July. Kiewit partnerships with the Nuggets and Avalanche were announced before that. The Rapids were also the last of the three to announce partnerships with UCHealth.
Kiewit has a regional headquarters in Lone Tree. This partnership could set Kiewit up to win work for the Ball Arena renovation. Could it help Kiewit win work at DSGP? Or were the Rapids thrown in late to expand the advertising reach? The fact that the Rapids were the last of the teams to announce a branding deal with Kiewit and UCHealth is noted. Kiewit is the “Official Construction and Engineering Partner” of the Rapids. There hasn’t been any construction since July 2025.
Some business outlets that estimate the net worth of billionaires say Kroenke’s worth in excess of $29 billion. A lot of that is now assets, not cash on hand. Still, a rounding error on the Angels purchase would pay for Morgan Whittaker, the scoreboard, and then some.
Between the Angels purchase and Ball Arena renovation, the message is clear. KSE has the money. They’re willing to spend it on their sports teams. They’ve made a conscious choice to not spend it on the Rapids.
A rising tide lifts all boats. Except the sunk ones. The Rapids are a row boat that’s been at the bottom of the harbor since 2023.
The club has been able to reinvest profits when made. Ownership wrote a ~$1 million check to help the club sign Paxten Aaronson last summer. The $7 million sale of Djordje Mihailović was invested immediately in Aaronson. They were able to fully reinvest the $17 million+ sale of Lucas Herrington. Presumably, they’ll be able to do the same with the $12 million Rafael Navarro sale. They also presumably had their most profitable home game ever when they hosted Inter Miami and Lionel Messi at Mile High.
Given how much money’s come in during 2026, there’s no excuse for not replacing the scoreboard. Unless you keep it all in the playing squad because scoreboards don’t score goals. And it’s harder to connect a new scoreboard to ticket sales to then buy players.
“Billy likes to keep the money on the field… It’s hard to see, exactly, but it’s there,” to quote “Moneyball.”
Burgundy Wave estimates the club still has $4 million cash and a bunch of GAM to spend in the winter. Hopefully that leads to two big signings. Their ability to keep up with spending in MLS might be dependent on converting on player recruitment and development like with Herrington.
Supporters feel the neglect. And they feel like they’re missing out. Other than maybe Montreal, what other MLS ownership group would allow this to get this bad? Fans of MLS expansion teams get a nice new stadium. The players get a world class training facility. Every other KSE team is getting something shiny and new. The Rapids get a scoreboard, finally. What else is in the works?
If not Victory Crossing, then what?
There’s been a few things that have potentially been discussed. After that 2023 season, the club had interviews with individual fans, Season Ticket Member focus groups, and other events to get community feedback. We reported on this previously. Consultant CSL International looked at other MLS stadium hospitality setups. The club looked at renovating or changing the east tower (the Summit Club, press box, etc.). The north structure as well. The north end of the stadium is the open end of the horseshoe.
During 2023, the club opened the new Northern Boundary. In my opinion, it’s the best setup they’ve had behind the north goal. Dale’s Bar has been upgraded on the south side. The supporters section has had some surface level improvements to Section 117, rebranding it as the South Bank.
There is a fan theory about the north structure having planned work in 2025 that then got nixed. Some STMs got notification that their parking access to Lot A (next to the northeast corner of the stadium) would be limited. Additionally, the traditional Phish concert over Labor Day weekend was moved to Folsom Field in Boulder and happened over 4th of July. Phish has since returned to DSGP.
Chief Business Officer Wayne Brant had been at the front of infrastructure projects and been involved in communication with Commerce City. Brant departed the club at the end of the season. Burgundy Wave reported that one of the reason was frustrations with these types of projects not moving forward.
Maybe the parking, Phish concert relocation, and Brant’s departure were unrelated. Burgundy Wave cannot confirm what might have been planned there unlike the east side of the stadium. It’s unlikely it was a complete tear down given the recent player facility renovations.
Kevin Demoff is the KSE President of Team and Media Operations. He was appointed in March 2024 and has been more involved than his KSE predecessors. Chief Operating Officer Matt Hutchings was occasionally seen and rarely heard from. Demoff has spoken alongside Smith at press conferences a few times a year. I have had several interactions with him and been impressed. I have heard good things from others about him.
Demoff has focused on infrastructure, with an emphasis on development around KSE stadiums. That maybe contributed to the developments previously discussed. If he’s involved in projects around Angels Stadium or Ball Arena, it’s hard to see him giving the Rapids as much attention as he has 2024-26. Who can be a C-Suite level exec working on huge projects for 3-4 professional teams at the same time? It’d be another example of KSE asking a capable employee to do more.
Demoff has been noncommittal when asked about Victory Crossing and the scoreboard in the past.
Sources have told Burgundy Wave there have been plans to build Rapids 2 specific infrastructure, both a training facility and stadium. But that plan didn’t get very far. This was after the merger with Northern Colorado Hailstorm fell through.
Revisiting the 2023 MLSPA Grievance:
In May 2023, Inside Rapids posted that there was a player grievance that led to the league and the MLS Players Association getting involved. Basically, the training facilities at the club were subpar. The players complained. There was a grievance files through/with the MLSPA. MLS got hands on, overseeing and/or making the club take action. That was the accusation.
Burgundy Wave got a statement from the club that elaborated but did not address the question about the grievance directly. It also did not clarify the nature of the league’s involvement. After Fraser was fired, the club hosted a now infamous September 6, 2023 press conference. I asked a follow up question about this. Smith declined to answer. I followed up with the club via email, as instructed, on September 10. A club staffer confirmed receipt of that email. Three years later, no club comment has been received addressing the report of a player grievance or the league forcing change to address a grievance.
Since then, the club has replaced the stadium pitch and multiple practice fields, both natural grass and artificial turf. Other renovations to player facilities have been made as well. The stadium pitch was replaced before the start of the 2023 MLS season. Like the video board, it was original to 2007. Other MLS teams have replaced grass pitches once a year, some more frequently.
On August 20, 2022, during one of the final home games of the season, 18-year-old Dantouma “Yaya” Toure tore his ACL. He was two-years-old when that grass was installed.
Sources tell Burgundy Wave that a grievance was discussed. Burgundy Wave cannot confirm or deny what the outcome of it, its origin, or how the league got involved beyond the club statement from May 2023.
If there was no truth to this, it would be in the club’s interest to deny it immediately and officially. The first club statement did not confirm or deny it. The club’s lack of response since is effectively a no comment.
In his December 2023 exit interview, Jack Price told Burgundy Wave there was a concern among the players. They wanted to see improvements. At the same time, a number of international players had dealt with worse. Several players from the 2021-22 team had experienced having to wash their own kits or having to go home to shower after matches or training.
In a 2025 interview with Pidcast, Keegan Rosenberry called the matter “not egregious.”
That’s where I land on this. The 2021 season was the best since winning MLS Cup. The players probably thought their success was proof of concept that if ownerships invest in them further, they could succeed further. They then didn’t see change and tried to initiate it. It probably came from a place of ‘every other MLS teams have ABC. Why don’t we have B and C? Do we need to file a grievance with the PA?’ And that’s based on MLS having rich owners who invest a lot.
Plenty of European clubs have worse infrastructure. Especially outside the big clubs and top four leagues. Luton Town’s locker room at Kenilworth Road aren’t better than DSGP’s. And Luton Town was in the Premier League for a season. Plenty of teams in the Champions and down the pyramid don’t have the facilities like DSGP. Stoke City just opened a new training center that cost £10 million. That’s nothing compared to what MLS teams are spending.
The big six and Champions League contenders, fine. They have world class facilities. Maybe LAFC, Miami, and Atlanta have training grounds, pitches, and weight rooms that compare to that.
The grass needed to be replaced. That field was bad. I think the bar to what was safe and serviceable is lower than it felt, envying other MLS teams. It was “not egregious” in 2023. If players felt left behind, it was worth speaking up. MLS’s single entity has its benefits. There need to be standards. That doesn’t make it an OSHA violation. And plenty of higher status clubs in Europe don’t have much better.
But just like the scoreboard, and the transfer budget, it feels like the Colorado Rapids have it worse off than most MLS teams. Maybe worst. It gets to the heart of the issue.
Three years later, the fans, the players, the badge still deserve better. Victory Crossing, video board, and all.
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Eamon Shaw 