Can a women’s professional sports team that says it was treated unfairly and a highly touted music festival that felt shortchanged in Chicago find some harmony in the suburbs?
The city of Bridgeview, Riot Fest and the Red Stars are trying to answer that question on the fly.
The simmering dispute surfaced after Wednesday’s announcement that Riot Fest would leave Douglass Park, its West Side home for 10 years, and move to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.
The music festival is scheduled for September 20-22, and will coincide with the Red Stars’ nationally televised home football game against the San Diego Wave on September 21.
The plan is for both events to take place on the same day, which will prompt the team to read the riot act to Bridgeview city officials.
“It is unfair and unfortunate to see our club find itself in this situation, highlighting the vast differences in the treatment of women’s professional sports compared to men’s professional sports,” Red Stars president Karen Leetzow said in a statement. press release published Wednesday.
“We are committed to ensuring our players and fans have a best-in-class experience on and off the field, and we are working diligently to find a solution that will ensure the success of our match on September 21.”
Chicago Red Stars players meet with executive president Laura Ricketts (third from left) at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview last year.
Alex Wroblewski/For the Sun-Times
Bridgeview on Thursday rejected any suggestion that the southwest suburb treated female athletes differently from men who participated in sporting events at the venue, arguing that other teams had played games at SeatGeek Stadium at the same time as d other events were taking place.
The Red Stars received an official legal notice on the evening of June 4 outlining Bridgeview officials’ intention to hold Riot Fest on the field outside SeatGeek Stadium. Under the team’s agreement signed in 2019, Bridgeview is allowed to hold concurrent events on the field.
But a team source says they’re not sure they can operate successfully on game day if the music festival takes place on the field outside the stadium. The team says it has not received any details on the location of the soundstages around SeatGeek Stadium or how parking for Red Star fans and concert-goers will be handled.
Artistic representation of RiotLand at SeatGeek Stadium, the new home of Riot Fest 2024.
The team also says it has not received an overall plan for the concert festival, almost three months after the event. They argue that the lack of clarity raises concerns about how the game can be played and whether players and officials will be able to hear the whistles over the music coming from Riot Fest.
Bridgeview officials released a statement Thursday saying their decisions were based solely on what is best for taxpayers, insisting the Red Stars were not receiving any different treatment because they play in a soccer league feminine.
“The Village’s decision to host Riot Fest has nothing to do with gender,” the statement said. “As noted, the Village has hosted simultaneous events at the stadium during Fire, Hounds and Red Stars games in the past. The Village’s decision was strictly based on maximizing Stadium revenue for Village taxpayers.
Bridgeview officials did not detail specific games and events that were held simultaneously at SeatGeek Stadium in the past.
But a Red Star source suggests Bridgeview knew more than a month ago that simultaneous events could be a problem this time around.
The source said that in early May, the Red Stars were informed that the city wanted them to change venue for their match scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on September 21. The team made it clear that if the city could cover the costs needed to move the location, they would look for another site, the source said.
A view of the stadium and sky during the game between the Chicago Red Stars and the Houston Dash at SeatGeek Stadium.
Jérôme Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Stars only responded on Wednesday to the official notice they received on June 4 regarding Riot Fest. Their response made it clear that they did not believe the city would be able to host a music festival, with tens of thousands of festival-goers filling the surrounding area each day, and also successfully stage a women’s soccer match professional.
Riot Fest organizers said they were completely unaware the football team was seeing red because of their plans.
“Yesterday we were shocked by Red Stars’ statement regarding their dispute with the stadium, as we were told that accommodations had been made and agreed,” festival organizers said in a statement on Thursday. “We are optimistic that a resolution is on the way.”
Ironically, Riot Fest organizers said they were leaving Douglass Park because they were disappointed with their Chicago hosts.
Thousands attend the final day of Riot Fest at Douglass Park on Sunday, September 18, 2022.
Tyler Pasciak LaRivière/Sun-Times
“Riot Fest will be leaving Douglass Park,” festival co-founder Mike Petryshyn wrote in a social media post Tuesday. “And – let me be as clear as the azure sky of deepest summer – our exodus is solely due to the Chicago Park District.”
As for the Red Stars, even if they decide to change venue, it could be difficult at this late date. Soldier Field and Wrigley Field will be unavailable on September 21, calling into question whether the guaranteed-rate field could be a good fit for the Red Stars.
The Red Stars broke the National Women’s Soccer League attendance record (35,038) with their game at Wrigley Field on June 8. However, they had to go through months of approval to be allowed to play a game at Wrigley Field. It is unclear whether the team would be able to obtain the same approvals on such short notice for the guaranteed rate field.
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Under the leadership of former owner Arnim Whisler and ousted coach Rory Dames, the team became emblematic of many of the worst problems in women’s football. But the game at Wrigley could be a symbol that the Red Stars are back on the right path.
The Red Stars drew 35,083 on Saturday night, but lost 2-1. Penelope Hawking scored her only goal in the 93rd minute.
The Red Stars have already sold more than 16,000 tickets, and Wrigley is expected to hold about 37,000 after adjustments to transform it from a baseball field to a football field.
“I’m excited to come back with the Red Stars! The last few years have been such a blessing in Chicago, even with their ups and downs, and I can’t wait to be back,” Swanson said in a statement.