Springs Times

The Colorado College Tigers and Air Force Falcons women's soccer teams will take the field and contend in the inaugural City for Champions Cup at Weidner Field. This match is set to take place on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, at 6:00 pm and tickets are now on sale.

Home to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC of the USL, Weidner Field is an 8,000-person capacity venue located in downtown Colorado Springs. It will be the host site for the City for Champions Cup, a two-year endeavor between two excellent NCAA Division I women's soccer programs.

"With the 50th anniversary of Title IX, this is the perfect opportunity to bring three City for Champions venues together for an event that will showcase our two Division I and Mountain West women's collegiate women's soccer programs in the Springs," Lesley Irvine, Colorado College vice president & director of athletics said. "We're excited to provide this platform to our student-athletes and build community. Everything about this points to why Olympic City USA is such a remarkable place and Colorado College is thrilled to lead in this way.

Air Force Academy, Colorado College, Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, and Switchbacks FC have come together in partnership to plan and execute this exciting event, which also serves as the Mountain West's regular-season finale for each team.

Megan Leatham, president & chief executive officer of the Colorado Sports Corporation said, "It has been fun to see this event come to life through great partnerships. Thank you to Air Force Academy, Colorado College, and Switchbacks FC for collaborating with us to make it happen! This game will be a special one."

Participation in women's soccer is reaching new heights and the Colorado College Tigers and Air Force Falcons are two local teams championing that movement. The City for Champions Cup aims to showcase the talent of these young women in the hopes of inspiring other young women and girls to learn and grow the sport of soccer.

"This is the perfect opportunity to partner with the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation and bring the City for Champions Cup into Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs for the next two years. What a great venue for our cadet athletes to experience and way to showcase our city's two Division I women's soccer teams competing in the Mountain West Conference," said Air Force director of athletics, Nathan Pine.

President of Switchbacks FC, Nick Ragain, noted, "We began hoping to feature this matchup in 2018 when plans for Weidner Field and Robson Arena began taking shape. Today, the talent and energy from Colorado College, Air Force Academy, and the Sports Corp staff is sure to make this an instant classic Colorado Springs sporting event featuring our top female collegiate athletes. Very exciting.

Please click here to purchase tickets to this historic game.   About Colorado College

Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The athletics department includes two NCAA Division I sports (men's hockey and women's soccer) and 15 Division III sports, as well as several intramural and club sport opportunities. In 1970 the college created the Block Plan, in which its approximately 2,300 undergraduate students take one class at a time in intensive 3½-week segments. The college also offers a master of arts in teaching degree.  Creativity & Innovation, The Arts at CC — which also encompasses the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College — and the college's antiracism commitment are among key initiatives. About the United States Air Force Academy  

Air Force is comprised of a 27-sport intercollegiate program, plus physical education, and intramurals with a mission to develop leaders of character through athletic experiences. The vision of Air Force athletics is to inspire a lifetime of service to the Air Force, Space Force, and nation, provide challenging leadership experiences in a mentally and physically demanding environment, forge a Warrior Ethos that instills the will to win and create exceptional stakeholder and public experiences to promote the Academy, Air Force and Space Force.   About the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation

Colorado Springs Sports Corporation (The Sports Corp) exists to inspire and advance Colorado Springs, Olympic City USA, and the Pikes Peak Region through sport and community events.

Through event promotion and community development activities, The Sports Corp plays a critical role in bringing civic leaders together with some of the nation's premier sporting organizations to promote tourism and create positive economic impact. The Sports Corp hosts annual marquee events including the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame, Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off, Star Spangled Symphony & July 4th Block Party, The Broadmoor Cycle to the Summit, Pikes Peak Regional Airshow, Rocky Mountain State Games, and various sport centric celebrations.  In addition, supporting the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, National and International Governing Bodies of Sport, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum remains a staple component of the overall mission.  

About Weidner Field

Back in 2018, the Switchbacks teamed up with Colorado Sports and Events Center's City for Champions project to create a state-of-the-art multipurpose venue for professional, Olympic, and amateur events in downtown Colorado Springs. The private investment was supplemented by State Tax Incremental Fund monies through the Regional Tourism Act (City for Champions.) No local tax dollars were used for construction or operations. In May of 2021, The Switchbacks unveiled the new Weidner Field, an 8,000-seat soccer stadium featuring three luxury club levels, concessions developed by 6035 Hospitality, and state of the art LED viewing screens. The field is composed of the first ever FIFA approved corkonut turf and provides a balanced and springy field for players. Weidner Field also includes 'The Epicenter', a 35-foot-tall sculpture that dominates the Northeast corner in a representative display of the community in Colorado Springs. The ramps leading up to the stadium feature a "switchbacks" aesthetic, that is both functional and provides a stunning vista of the entirety of Weidner Field.         

Original source can be found here.