DHJ Quick Take: A Possible New Era at American Airlines Center
- Elevating the Platform: Transitioning to a 20,000-seat arena full-time is the ultimate vote of confidence in the Wings’ brand. After proving the market’s hunger with a record-breaking 20,409 fans in 2025, the move to AAC ensures that no Dallas fan is left without a seat during the most exciting era in league history.
- Championship Infrastructure: Jose Fernandez’s optimism regarding the 2027 move and the new practice facility highlights a franchise that is finally aligning its resources with its championship aspirations. This isn’t just about a change of scenery; it’s about providing the roster with a world-class environment to match their elite talent.
- A “Win-Win” Fallback: While the Memorial Auditorium project remains a long-term goal for downtown synergy, having the American Airlines Center as the designated home provides an immediate, high-tier professional experience. It keeps the team in the heart of Dallas, accessible to the core fanbase that has fueled their recent growth.
- Market Momentum: Hosting marquee matchups against the Fever, Sky, and Valkyries at AAC this season serves as a perfect celebration of the league’s expansion. These “trial runs” are essentially a victory lap for a franchise that has successfully cultivated one of the most loyal fanbases in sports.
- Growth Without Limits: Moving away from the 7,000-seat ceiling of College Park Center allows the Wings to scale their business as fast as the league is growing. It’s an “all-systems-go” moment that positions Dallas as a premier destination for free agents and national broadcasts alike.
DALLAS — The Dallas Wings‘ arena situation for the 2027 season came into sharper focus this week, though the franchise has not formally closed the door on its long-stalled Memorial Auditorium project.
Wings head coach Jose Fernandez told reporters Thursday that the team intends to play all of its 2027 home games at American Airlines Center, the 20,000-seat home of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars.
“We will be in the practice facility next year to open up training camp,” Fernandez said, per Front Office Sports. “That is going to happen, and we will be playing all of our games in American Airlines [Center] next year as well.”
Wings CEO and managing partner Greg Bibb tempered that framing shortly afterward. Bibb told USA Today that nothing has been finalized and that the franchise still needs WNBA sign-off before any venue change can become official.
“We do not have a finalized agreement, nor have we achieved the approvals from the league that you technically need to have to change venue for a season,” Bibb said. “So while I’m optimistic that we’re going to have news on that front soon, we do not have that news as of today. That’s important.”
Memorial Auditorium Was the Original Destination
The Wings’ long-term plan has been to play home games at a renovated Memorial Auditorium inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas. The arena was originally targeted for a 2026 opening, pushed to 2027, and is now projected to be ready for the 2028 season.
The current progress of the renovation remains unclear. The city wrapped up the project’s design phase late last year, but construction documents and final budget figures have not yet been brought forward, leaving the venue’s actual readiness an open question.
Local Officials Have Pushed for the American Airlines Center as the Alternative
Some Dallas city officials have grown increasingly skeptical of committing further public dollars to the Memorial Auditorium renovation, particularly with the American Airlines Center already operating as a fully built, larger-capacity venue.
District 12 council member Cara Mendelsohn, who has been the most vocal critic of the city’s handling of Wings-related projects, blasted the trajectory of those builds earlier this year.
“It looks terrible for us, it’s causing problems for the team,” Mendelsohn said, per FOX 4. “And really, it’s just another notch in the belt of another failed real estate project that we have not delivered on time or on budget.”
A previous development agreement between the city and the Wings designated American Airlines Center as the contractual fallback if Memorial Auditorium was not ready in time. With the renovation now expected to miss the 2027 season as well, that fallback has effectively become the working plan, even as Bibb confirmed the paperwork is not yet in place.
Where Things Stand
The Wings will play three games at American Airlines Center during the 2026 season, against the Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, and Golden State Valkyries. The two home games the team played there in 2025 against the Fever both sold out, with one setting a Texas WNBA attendance record of 20,409.
Until both the arena and practice facility plans are firmed up, the Wings will continue operating out of the 7,000-seat College Park Center in Arlington, where the franchise has played since relocating from Tulsa in 2016.
The Wings open the 2026 season on Saturday, May 9, at 12 p.m. CT against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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