Republic FC’s Railyards stadium gets luxury suites, signaling big-league ambition
Sacramento Republic FC is pitching a first-rate luxury experience at the team’s new stadium being built at the Railyards despite remaining in a lower-tier soccer league — for now.
Republic FC on Wednesday began sales for luxury suite access for the stadium opening in 2028, which look more akin to what fans would find at an NBA arena or NFL stadium than a typical United Soccer League venue.
“That’s exactly what’s happening here,” Republic FC president and general manager Tim Holt said in a phone interview. “From a stadium standpoint in general, I think it’s going to be one of the premier hospitality experiences in any soccer-specific venue in North America.”
All of which is another not-so-subtle signal that Republic FC has grand plans in the coming years beyond the USL, which the development of the new stadium embodies.
“This venue is built for bringing soccer at the highest levels to Sacramento and to this building,” Holt said. “On the club side, that’s for Republic FC to play in the highest level available to it in this country from a domestic competition standpoint, and it’s also to attract major soccer events, both on a regional, national and international level to occur at our stadium, for men’s and women’s.”
The USL is considered a lower-level league than Major League Soccer, which the club’s current ownership has been pushing for behind the scenes. The club in the spring expanded on its initial plan to build a 12,000-seat stadium set to open in 2027, and instead opted for a stadium plan with nearly double the capacity to 20,000-plus and a canopy that is projected to open in 2028.
Holt said there’s no news regarding the club’s push for MLS, which hasn’t officially opened expansion talks beyond its current 30-team structure. But work is being done behind the scenes to make Sacramento a viable candidate again — the city was awarded an MLS expansion in 2019 before the deal fell through in 2021 when investor Ron Burkle backed out of the agreement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Republic FC took on new ownership in November 2024 when the Wilton Rancheria purchased a controlling stake of the team from Kevin Nagle, making the club the first in American sports to be predominately owned by a Native American tribe. The team congruently announced new stadium plans that were quickly approved by Sacramento City Council and a groundbreaking ceremony for the stadium was held last summer.
The new design would comply with MLS standards or potentially fit into the USL Premier league, which is also being planned to launch in 2028 as a direct competitor with MLS.
“It’s all active,” Holt said, “in terms of continuing the dialogues that have been going on well before I got here, exploring all those possibilities and opportunities.”
The stadium is being built to make Sacramento a turnkey market for promotion out of the USL, which plays in smaller stadiums of roughly 10,000 fans across the country and pays players a fraction of MLS payrolls. Republic FC currently plays at Heart Health Park at Cal Expo, which seats some 11,500 fans and was built with $3 million in temporary bleachers. The new stadium is estimated to cost $450 million.
The new stadium will have 27 suites total. Twelve will be field level while 15 “executive” suites will be on the third level and offer more traditional sight lines.
The club hired Edith Ponciano of EP Atelier to design the suites with premium details inspired by Sacramento’s architecture and neighborhoods, the team said. Ponciano has worked on Chase Center in San Francisco, as well as two MLS stadiums: Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas; and NU Stadium, the recently opened home to Inter Miami CF.
Holt said he’s been “overwhelmed” by the fan interest in the stadium since the new design was announced. The team said it has well over 10,000 deposits on tickets for the new stadium, and it has been in conversations with multiple companies about stadium naming rights.
The team is planning to open a stadium experience in September, where fans can get in-person looks at amenities and premium seating options.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 12:21 PM.
