Houston Dynamo head coach Paulo Nagamura may be on the hot seat, but fans won't have to be next season, with the club announcing that new mesh seats will come to PNC Stadium in time for next season.
And that won't be the only change coming to the downtown Houston stadium, also housing the Houston Dash and international friendlies. A new seating design, elected by fans via an online poll that began on July 22, was also revealed by the club Tuesday afternoon as part of the upgrades to be made prior to the start of the 2023 MLS and NWSL seasons.
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC
PNC Stadium will undergo a second wave of upgrades under Dynamo and Dash owner Ted Segal.
The winning design for the seating bowl makeover features HOUSTON in black block letters with a silver drop-shadow over an orange background, across the east side grandstand in the 200 level. The rest of the stadium will feature seats in one of four colors, Wildcatter Orange, Space City Blue, Raven Black and Championship Silver, reflecting the official color palettes for both the Dynamo and the Dash.
More than 1,500 fans voted in the three-week long contest.
"One of the most beautiful things about football clubs throughout the world is the sense of investment that their supporters have, not only in the on-field results but in the way their club is managed," said Dynamo and Dash owner Ted Segal. "We are striving to build that collective sense of investment within our club, and this process was an opportunity to give our fans and supporters a say in how we’re building it."
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC
The new stadium design will feature the name "HOUSTON" displayed across the East grandstand at PNC Stadium.
The conversion to mesh seats is part of an extensive capital investment project that also includes the creation of an all-new East Club. Mesh seats are already present at PNC Stadium, in select premium spaces, and they're also in use throughout much of Austin FC's Q2 Stadium.
The new mesh seats, produced by 4Topps and DreamSeat, are up to 30 degrees cooler than traditional stadium seats, according to a club release. Each of the new seats will include a cupholder and armrests, creating a significantly improved overall experience for guests.
On the East side, the remodeled East Club will feature nine loge boxes that will provide individuals and companies with a new semi-private space to entertain guests. Seats in the new East Club will feature premium high-backed mesh seats from 4Topps.
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC
The club has sold out its nine loge boxes on the remodeled East Club at PNC Stadium.
Memberships for the 2023 Houston Dynamo FC and Houston Dash seasons are now available. For those interested in having the first opportunity to secure their 2023 seating location, the club will hold a Select A Seat event on Thursday, Sept. 8 at PNC Stadium. Fans may RSVP at HoustonDynamoFC.com/Select-A-Seat.
Shortly after Segal assumed ownership of the club on June 22, 2021, he initiated a first wave of stadium upgrades, including converting the Supporters Section on the north end of the stadium into a safe standing area. That plan also reconfigured the south end of the stadium into premium seating areas branded as the Shell Energy Sports Deck and the Pitch Zone. All three of those spaces opened at the beginning of the current Houston Dynamo FC season, back in February.
Segal has also invested into expansion of the backroom staff for the Dynamo, Dash and Dynamo Academy, the addition of Houston Dynamo 2, improvements to Houston Sports Park and marquee player signings for both the Dash and the Dynamo.