Renovations include new field turf and videoboard
MIAMI, (April 3, 2017) – Welcoming the news that Florida International University (FIU) has decided to name its stadium, Silva International Investments is pleased to announce that FIU Stadium will be named “Riccardo Silva Stadium” effective April 3. The decision to name the stadium is in recognition of the support given by Riccardo Silva to the FIU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics 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. Commenting on the news, Riccardo Silva said:
“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 for.”
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 biggest NFL and soccer teams.
“The quality of the field is very important to all players and coaches,” said Miami FC Head Coach Alessandro Nesta. “We’d like to first thank FIU and our owner Riccardo for making this possible, and everyone involved for installing such a state-of-art field ahead of the 2017 season. It is by far one of the best fields in the country.”
Riccardo Silva Stadium has also been enhanced by installation of a new videoboard, replacing the existing scoreboard, providing a huge boost to the fan experience at The Miami FC’s soccer games. Measuring approximately 31×59 feet, the new videoboard 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, FIU Stadium today holds 20,000 spectators and houses 1,500 club seats. The stadium not only serves as the home of the FIU Panthers football team but it is a crucial component of the university. 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.
“I want to personally thank Riccardo Silva for his generous gift and his belief in FIU Athletics,” FIU Executive Director of Sports and Entertainment Pete Garcia said. “It means a great deal to the department and illustrates the relationship we have built with Riccardo Silva. It is these type of gifts that help achieve our goal towards building world-class facilities for our student-athletes.”
For more information, please visit www.silvainternational.com or www.fiusports.com.
About Silva International:
Silva International is an investment company which has investments in a range of companies across media, sports, entertainment, art and real estate. It was established in 2015 by Riccardo Silva and its portfolio includes sports media company MP & Silva, The Miami FC, MP Management, significant investments in real estate as well as the Riccardo Silva Collection of art. For more information please visit, www.silvainternational.com.
