Centennial Stadium - Denver Summit FC
Photos by Matt Finnigan, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Centennial Stadium 13740 East Fremont Ave.
Centennial, CO 80112
Year Opened: 2026 Capacity: 12,000
The Climb Begins for the NWSL Denver Summit FC
For a professional sports franchise that didn’t exist 20 months ago, the National Women’s Soccer League’s Denver Summit FC is doing well for itself. The NWSL announced in January 2025 that the Summit would become the league’s 16th team, debuting in the 2026 season. That debut on March 28, 2026, was a resounding success: the Summit set the American attendance record for a women’s professional sporting event (63,004) in the franchise’s first home game at Empower Field at Mile High
But the Summit joined the league without a permanent stadium. After the franchise debut, the Summit played four games at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the MLS’s Colorado Rapids, during the 2026 Men’s World Cup Break before moving into their interstitial home in Centennial. The Summit will have a permanent stadium soon, however, in a 14-acre redevelopment project located just south of downtown Denver in Santa Fe Yards near the intersection of Interstate 25 and Broadway. The permanent location will seat 14,500 fans, with parking, mass transit connectivity, and new housing, restaurants, and hospitality areas as part of the project. It’s expected to open either during the 2028 NWSL season or before the 2029 season.
Until then, the Summit play home games at Centennial Stadium, a 12,000-seat temporary home located at the team’s practice facility approximately 20 miles south of downtown Denver in Centennial, Colorado. The surrounding, suburban neighborhood – which probably wasn’t designed with an inkling that a pro sports team would play among its business parks and light industrial zoning – doesn’t offer much atmosphere (or parking; more on that later). But the experience at Centennial Stadium offers a glimpse of the Summit’s bright future once the permanent stadium opens.
Food & Beverage 4
For a temporary home, Centennial Stadium offers a decent array of food and drink. A high point: the Summit have popular local restauranteurs and food trucks among the concessionaires. Maria Empanada (beef, chicken chimichurri, Italiana, BBQ, and roast corn and cojita), Little Finch, Simply Pizza, and Sweet Action Ice Cream (7 flavors, a seasonal sorbet, and ice cream floats) have locations in the stadium. Hot dogs ($6.50), popcorn ($9), and bottled soda ($7) are sold throughout the stadium as well.
Cans of domestic beer (Tivoli, Coors Light - $10-$11), premium beer (Michelob Ultra, Modelo - $13), craft beer (Holidaily, 4 Noses IPA - $13-$14), and High Noon hard seltzer ($14) are sold throughout the facility. Centennial Stadium sells Coca-Cola soda products.
Atmosphere 3
Even compared to a permanent facility, Centennial Stadium has surprisingly good atmosphere. All seats are close to the action, with good sight lines.
Centennial Stadium doesn’t have the dramatic mountain backdrops that some of Colorado’s other sports venues have. If you’re looking for views or something Instagrammable, this likely isn’t the place. The action on the field is the main attraction.
Most of the seating is exposed to the elements. At least in the seating bowl, there isn’t much shade. However, the concourses underneath the stands are completely shaded and covered to give respite to fans looking to escape direct sunlight or rain. Fans can bring empty water bottles but filling them inside the stadium can present a challenge. The Summit should consider adding water bottle filling stations.
The Summit supporters’ section is behind the south goal, in section 114. Purchasing a ticket in this area can be confusing, however. Tickets indicate a row and seat in that section but fans treat all seats in section 114 as general admission. Also, be advised that watching the game from this part of the stadium exposes fans to blasts of smoke when the Summit score. That smoke delivers a sulfuric olfactory punch that can catch the unwary off-guard.
Neighborhood 1
The area around Centennial Stadium was never intended to host a professional sports venue. There aren’t any restaurants or bars within reasonable walking distance (though there are multiple construction companies, a county courthouse, the Denver Broncos’ practice facility and team offices, and a Hindu temple nearby). Otherwise, a quick drive north to Arapahoe Road leads to strip malls that seem to offer a seemingly limitless array of fast-casual chain restaurants.
That should change, of course, when the Summit’s new stadium opens. An entertainment district will surround the facility, ostensibly with places for fans to meet before and after games. No one knows what those restaurants will be. The Summit will be wise to bring local favorites to that development, as they have at Centennial Stadium. Until then, however, fans will have to be creative in their pre- and post-game get-togethers.
Fans 5
The Summit have been an instant success with regard to fans, beyond the franchise-opening game at Mile High. As of this writing, the Summit have the NWSL’s second-highest, per-fixture attendance (18,938, trailing only the Portland Thorns’ 19,150 per fixture). They’ve sold out matches at each of the three pitches where they’ve played and have become a sought-after ticket in Colorado. Local stars Janine Sonis (Highlands Ranch) and Lindsey Heaps (Golden) are part of the reason for the team’s popularity. And the 14ers, the team’s supporter group, is a fun and conspicuous part of every match.
Access 1
Parking at Centennial Stadium presents several challenges. The lack of it might be the biggest, and confusing information on the team’s website compounds that problem. Parking at the stadium is limited, though permits can be purchased ahead of time. Some surrounding businesses, closed on weekends and at night, seem to provide options.
But the Summit’s messaging is unclear. For instance, the website encourages fans in a website blurb titled “Free Shuttle and Offsite Lots” to park a mile away at a business along Tucson Way; a free shuttle is advertised. However, attendants turn away fans arriving without a parking permit. The website doesn’t indicate that this is a permitted lot, nor does any signage. Fans thus queue for a lot where they can’t actually park, only to be sent elsewhere. Attendants don’t provide direction on parking options. This can force fans to scramble to find parking in an area that’s probably unfamiliar to many people who don’t live in or near Centennial.
Street parking is an option, but it’s not clearly marked and can require long walks. And, because the area around the stadium isn’t pedestrian-friendly, fans must frequently walk in the street around construction projects or without sidewalks on grass, pocked with groundhog holes. The Summit need to clarify on its parking map which lots are permit-required and should provide more information about street parking and walking routes. This would ameliorate confusion, particularly for those attending a game at Centennial Stadium for the first time.
Additionally, Centennial is at Denver’s south end. Those coming from the north side of downtown potentially face drives of 45 minutes to an hour, perhaps more if the notorious traffic through the Denver Tech Center rears its ugly head. There is some public transit available, but not much. RTD-Denver’s Bus Route 153 connects the stadium with the light rail station on Arapahoe Road.
Return on Investment 3
Notwithstanding the Summit’s popularity, tickets are not bank-breakers when compared to other live sporting events in Denver. Prices start at $34. Given that seats around the stadium are closely positioned to the pitch, entry-level tickets won’t force fans to watch the game from a pilot’s-eye view. Tickets near the center pitch routinely exceed $100.
Paid parking is an option. It, too, isn’t terribly costly in the $10 range. Given that it’s limited, though, fans are wise to buy it well in advance of a match. Free parking is available but, as noted, it’s unmarked and not close to the stadium. Plan ahead.
Food and beverage prices align with other sports venues in Denver. The Summit do have a 3.03 menu, selling popcorn, PB&J sandwiches, and bottled water for $3.03 apiece (303 also happens to be the primary area code for the Denver area, for those of us old enough to remember those telephonic relics).
Extras 1
The Summit earn an extra point for including excellent local, non-chain concessionaires. It’s a nice display of support for some of Denver’s independent restaurants that will hopefully be part of the permanent stadium in a few years.
