TUCSON, Ariz. — After weeks of uncertainty, we now know the future of the Tucson Roadrunners.
The Tucson Roadrunners announced they will be staying in the Old Pueblo.
“The Roadrunners staying here is a win for the region and great news for Arizona hockey,” said Fletcher McCusker, Chairman, Rio Nuevo District. “Tucson is to Phoenix as Austin is to Dallas, a professional sports super region. We want Tucson to be the AHL piece of that kind of partnership.”
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Rio Nuevo Vice Chairman Edmund Marquez told News 4 Tucson the Roadrunners will be practicing in Tucson and play at least 30 home games in the city and six games up at Mullet Arena in Tempe.
He says Rio Nuevo passed some incentives to keep the team in Tucson including plans to pay half of their rent and associated expenses up to $240,000 and removing the $2 a ticket fee that goes toward facilities.
“We are thrilled to know that the Roadrunners will continue to play in front of our loyal Tucson fans for the foreseeable future,” said Tucson Roadrunners President Bob Hoffman. “We look forward to an exciting 2024-25 season where we build on last year’s success with the support of the best fans in the AHL.”
The news comes after an earlier announcement that the Roadrunners would be moving to the Valley.
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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