FIU has announced a new name for its football facility, which is now known as Riccardo Silva Stadium.
The university has renamed the stadium to recognize the support given by Riccardo Silva to the FIU Athletic Department since 2015.
Riccardo Silva is the owner of Silva International Investments and co-owner of Miami FC, which made its debut in the 2016 season of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The Miami FC will play all of its home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium.
“FIU has been an amazing partner since we began working together with Miami FC,” said Silva. “When I brought professional soccer to Miami last year, I never dreamed that the Miami FC would be playing in a stadium named after me. It’s a huge honor of which I’m very proud and grateful.”
“I’m proud of the partnership with Riccardo Silva that speaks to our win-win commitment to our community,” said FIU president Mark B. Rosenberg.
As well as a new name for the stadium, Riccardo Silva Stadium has also seen significant improvements made to the facility over the last two months, with completion of two major projects. The first is the installation of a new state-of-the-art playing surface. The new surface, FieldTurf’s Revolution 360, features fibers that provide for optimal durability, resilience and feel and is used by many of the country’s top venues.
“I want to personally thank Riccardo Silva for his generous gift and his belief in FIU Athletics,” said FIU executive director of sports and entertainment Pete Garcia. “It means a great deal to the department and illustrates the relationship we have built with Riccardo Silva. These are the type of gifts that help achieve our goal towards building world-class facilities for our student-athletes and our community.”
Riccardo Silva Stadium has also been enhanced by the installation of a new video board, replacing the existing scoreboard. Measuring over 1,800 square feet, the new video board will feature a 13HD pixel layout, the premier technology for outdoor applications within the sports industry. It will have full live video and instant-replay capabilities, along with multiple zones of content, including statistics and graphics.
Originally built in 2008, Riccardo Silva Stadium holds 20,000 spectators. Located on 11200 SW 8th Street, the stadium has hosted many events throughout the years, including the 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, concerts, non-intercollegiate sporting events and other community activities.
Image courtesy Miami FC.