Tigres UANL new home stadium with a soul

Article posted by Coliseum, September 20^th, 2023

Image: Coliseum GSVA

César O. Esparza is a person of pluck who is full of passion and panache. The top shot of Nuevo Estadio Universitario UANL in Monterrey, Mexico, swells with pride while talking about his country Mexico.

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Esparza details how the celebrated firm Populous-designed 71,000-capacity new home of the Mexican professional football club Tigres UANL – Nuevo Estadio Universitario UANL in Monterrey – will be the most inclusive building on the planet which will look into every small need of the fans.

Esparza and his team are putting their hearts and souls together into this project to ensure that it is a stadium with a humane face in the real sense of the term and that the disabled fans do not have any difficulty in accessing the venue and the facilities meet their needs and also to make the event a positive experience for the disabled supporters.

César O. Esparza who is the head honcho of Nuevo Estadio Universitario UANL, Mexico, is also the Founder of Juego de Pelota, Inc., a New York City (US)-based company which excels in sustainable stadia development.

In an impassioned conversation with ‘Coliseum’, César O. Esparza, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nuevo Estadio Universitario UANL, Mexico, reveals that the new home of the Mexico top-flight club Tigres UANL – Nuevo Estadio – construction work on which is underway will be a stadium that will not only look into the needs of the disabled supporters but will also take care of the small needs of the women supporters which venues usually overlook as well as people with obesity problems who are largely not given a welcome feel in any public place. He also talks about the economic sustainability of stadia which is a very crucial factor.

Nuevo Estadio Universitario

The Populous-designed 71,000-capacity Nuevo Estadio Universitario UANL in Monterrey, Mexico, developed by Juego de Pelota (the New York [US]-based real estate firm) is under construction and will serve as the future home of the Tigres UANL of Liga MX. The Tigres aim to complete the stadium by 2026 as Mexico co-hosts the FIFA World Cup™ in 2026 alongside the United States and Canada. The stadium is coming up on public land and the tab is being picked up by private purses.

Tigres UANL

The Tigres UANL or Tigres is a Mexican professional football club based in San Nicolás de los Garza, a City in the Monterrey metropolitan area of Nuevo León, Mexico. It plays in Liga MX, the top professional football division in Mexico. Their present home ground is the 42,000-capacity University Stadium in San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico.

César O. Esparza begins by stating that he has been working on the new home venue project of the Tigres UANL for the last more than 15 years. He also asserted that “there is more to Mexico than beautiful beaches and tequila and Mexico is among the top 10 economies of the world”.

Monterrey

Putting in a few words for the City Monterrey, he stated, “Monterrey is the Milan of Italy and the business capital and richest City in Latin America.”

‘Idle’ Stadia

In a grim tone, he stated that most stadiums all over the globe are “empty for the major part of the year. The mammoth structures get used only 80 hours per year. To keep venues operational the whole year through sustainability is the solution. Sustainability in the economic sense, in the social sense and, of course, from the environmental point of view.”

Economic Sustainability

He informed that the Nuevo Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Mexico, will boast an advanced retractable pitch system so that the field space of the Nuevo Estadio Universitario is left free with a concrete surface where all kinds of sports and cultural shows can be held. This will ensure Economic Sustainability of the arena.

NFL-ready

Esparza informed that the National Football League (NFL) enjoys a huge fan base in Mexico and “keeping this aspect in mind the venue will be constructed in such a manner that it is able to hold NFL games too. Going in for retractable pitch can help venues to hold several other events – a key mantra of economic sustainability.”

The top honcho added, “We are also planning to construct an athletic track by lifting the level of the field. We are pulling out all stops to build the most avant-garde stadium in Mexico as the country has launched the official bid for the 2036 Olympics.”

Mixed-use Plans

Stressing on the Economic Sustainability factor, Esparza maintained that they plan to rent out every little space in the under-construction venue and to make it a mixed-use facility with varied offerings so that it remains operational the whole year through.

NFL

New York-based the National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

Environmental Sustainability

Taking into consideration the Environmental Sustainability quotient, he informed that the stress would be on ‘Reuse, Reduce, Recycle’ and “the most important of the three is Reduce because reducing the footprint of the venue and using local products will augur well for the environment and will be a shot in the arm for the local economy.”

As Monterrey faces severe water crisis, “we are initiating all possible steps to not waste water and use it in a responsible manner”.

Social Sustainability

Social Sustainability is another important factor and in this regard Esparza and his team is taking leaves out of the pages of other stadia and “putting all these ideas together to come out with a beautiful and novel kind of concept”.

Public Space District NEU

Esparza informed that in a nod to their present home rich heritage and history the North Stand of the University Stadium will not be torn down and it will “serve as an amphitheater where musical acts will be held and people can let their hair down”.

Social Sustainability: Inclusion

To make it an inclusive stadium, he informed that a small multipurpose stadium will come up next to the main venue which will enjoy a Paralympic infrastructure where all Paralympic sports are going to be held.

Esparza and his team are bending over backwards to ensure that the under-construction Tigres venue is an inclusive stadium in the real sense of the term – “Urinals will be built to keeping in mind the comfort factor of people with short heights, obese fans (season ticket holders) will get seats with more width, more washrooms for women, a chapel for people of all faiths, and even symbols for the color blind fans to help them navigate through the stadium and get to their seats, and a sensory room because not all fans are comfortable with the chants and roars of supporters.”

Sum-up

César O. Esparza summed up by stating, “The new home of Tigres UANL will catapult the position of Monterrey and Mexico. We will put our best foot forward to ensure that the disabled supporters are made to feel at home in the Nuevo Estadio Universitario UANL.”

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