Arizona Athletic Grounds touts growth in 2nd full year under new ownership
Arizona Athletic Grounds, an East Valley-based multisport complex, experienced significant growth last year in its second full year under new ownership.
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PHOENIX — Arizona Athletic Grounds, an East Valley-based multisport complex, experienced significant growth last year after making a concerted effort to optimize efficiency and its guest experience.
The complex saw its number of visitors increase by 16% (more than 2.8 million) from 2024 and guests came from all 50 states in the second full year under new ownership, according to a press release.
The 275-acre facility went through three names (Legacy Sports Park, Bell Bank Park and Legacy Park) from its opening in October 2020 to December 2023 before landing on its current branding.
Almost one million of the visitors came in the first quarter of 2025 due to high streams of attendance over Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President’s Day weekends. Other high-profile youth sports events in the summer, such as Section 7, a national high school basketball tournament in June, contributed to a record year.
Arizona Athletic Grounds is set to fuel this level of growth after striking up 15 multi-year partnerships with sports organizations including MLS NEXT, the Professional Pickleball Association and the American Cornhole League. Several of these agreements were signed to “extend through 2028 and 2029,” the release said.
The arrival of new food and beverage brands to the complex, such as Wetzel’s Pretzels last April, helped retail sales grow more than 55% from 2024 as well.
Arizona Athletic Grounds is located off of State Route 24 (Gateway Freeway) and Ellsworth Road. It features 158 combined fields and courts for basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, beach volleyball, soccer, pickleball and cheer and dance.
The facility hosted more than 1,500 Special Olympics Arizona athletes over the weekend for the 2026 state basketball and cheer state games.
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