NWSL team gets bumped from hosting home game due to a music festival

Riot Fest made waves this week when it announced it would be moving from Chicago’s Douglass Park and out to suburban SeatGeek Stadium, but that news could have an impact on the Chicago Red Stars soccer club.

The Red Stars, who just set an attendance record in the NWSL over the weekend at Wrigley Field, are scheduled to take on San Diego Wave FC at SeatGeek Stadium on Sept. 21, right in the middle of Riot Fest’s three-day festival in Bridgeview.

The team released a statement on Wednesday after the Riot Fest announcement, saying that the double-booking of the stadium grounds illustrates the challenges faced by women’s sports teams.

“It is unfair and unfortunate to have our club put in this situation, shining a light on the vast discrepancies in the treatment of women’s professional sports vs. men’s professional sports,” team President Karen Leetzow said in a statement.

The club says it is exploring its options for the game, but did not elaborate on where they could potentially contest the game.

“We are committed to ensuring our players and fans have a first-rate experience on and off the pitch, and we are working diligently to find a solution that will ensure our Sept. 21 game is a success,” Leetzow said.

If the Red Stars were to seek out a venue change, they wouldn’t be able to use Wrigley Field again, as the Chicago Cubs have a scheduled home game against the Washington Nationals.

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Soldier Field’s two primary tenants, the Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire FC, are both on the road that weekend, with the Bears in Indianapolis to play the Colts and the Fire in Montreal.

Guaranteed Rate Field is also vacant on the Saturday, with the White Sox in San Diego taking on the Padres.

Riot Fest, which has been held in Douglass Park for nearly 10 years, announced the move on Tuesday, citing issues with the Chicago Park District as reason for the change.

The festival will still be held over three days from Sept. 20-22, and will be part of “Riotland,” with numerous stages, food vendors and more taking place around SeatGeek Stadium.

Information the festival’s lineup can be found on the Riot Fest website.