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Columbus Crew will host Lionel Messi, Inter Miami in Cleveland at Huntington Bank Field
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- Columbus Crew will host Lionel Messi, Inter Miami in Cleveland at Huntington Bank Field
The Crew announced Wednesday that their regular-season home game against Inter Miami will be played in Cleveland at Huntington Bank Field instead of Lower.com Field on April 19.
Crew owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam also own the NFL's Cleveland Browns .
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The 2025 Crew season-ticket renewal included a clause that stated home games outside Columbus could be, "including but not limited to a stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio."
Opinion: Columbus Crew moving game vs Lionel Messi to Cleveland is blatant Haslam cash grab | Arace
There was a general expectation that the game played in Cleveland would be the Miami matchup, due to the draw of Miami star forward Lionel Messi.
The Crew had considered moving their home game against Miami in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup to Cleveland. That never came to be, with Miami being knocked out of the tournament before a series with Columbus could take place.
Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against the Crew at Lower.com Field on Oct. 2.
Crew president of business operations Josh Glessing cited two main factors for moving the game.
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"We do not make decisions like this lightly," Glessing said. "We put a lot of thought into it. And we have this unique opportunity in Cleveland ... One, this exposes the Crew to a new market, which we think is incredibly important to try to grow the brand of the Columbus Crew and ensure that it continues to be Ohio's soccer club. Two, we're able to welcome substantially more people into the building than we otherwise would be able to."
Lower.com Field is expected to hold 20,401 in the 2025 season with new seating being added on the east side of the venue. That is 47,030 fewer than Huntington Bank Field's 67,431.
Glessing said that if Columbus faces Miami in the 2025 Champions Cup quarterfinals, the Crew's home leg would be played at Lower.com Field.
Glessing said the club is viewing the game in Cleveland as a one-off.
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"We have no intent to have this be an annual thing," Glessing said. "But if a unique opportunity presents itself, we're always going to explore, we're always going to do what's best for the club and the growth of the club. And you know, it wouldn't be fair for me to say that we will or we will not ever do this again."
Crew fans cheer before a game against Inter Miami CF at Lower.com Field on Oct. 2.
Glessing confirmed there have been no conversations between the club and Ohio State about hosting a large-scale Crew game at Ohio Stadium, adding he "wouldn't say no" if the scenario was to present itself.
Why 4:30 p.m. kickoff for Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami?
While Crew officials had no say on the date of their home game against Miami, with MLS in charge of creating each team's schedule, Glessing said the team pushed for the 4:30 p.m. kickoff time.
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"If we were going to do this, it was going to be important to ensure that not everyone had to stay at a hotel in Cleveland," Glessing said. "So, our fans can make the day trip, a 4:30 kick, 6:30 the game ends, a lot of our fans are going to be home earlier than they would be if the match is at Lower.com."
Will there be any incentives for Columbus Crew season ticket holders, members of The Nordecke to go to the game?
Since talk of a game in Cleveland started, local fans have raised concerns about the logistics of having the game nearly 250 miles away from the club's home field.
There have been no conversations between the Crew front office and their supporter group, The Nordecke, about the Cleveland game.
Crew fans celebrate a 3-1 win over Los Angeles FC at Lower.com Field.
Glessing said the plan is to have conversations with the group's board. Glessing stated there will be "some additional benefits for the Nordecke membership specifically to ensure that they can bring the atmosphere to Cleveland."
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The Crew have guaranteed that there will be benefits for season ticket holders making the trip north. In addition to tickets to the game, season ticket holders will get one parking pass per season-ticket account, a food voucher for each seat and a postgame on-field experience.
"The on-field experience, I would say today that's evolving," Glessing said. "To what exactly that's going to be, we don't have a definitive answer, but we want to allow people to go down while the goals are up, do interesting things, engage in a unique way. And we think there's a big overlap in Browns fans and Crew fans. So, for them, some of them, it'll be a double-whammy, unique experience."
Single-game tickets for the Miami matchup in Cleveland will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Jan. 14.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew to host Lionel Messi, Inter Miami in Cleveland
