Major League Soccer today announced that Columbus Crew SC will begin the 2017 season at home, hosting regional rival Chicago Fire for Opening Match, presented by MAPFRE Insurance, at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 4, 2017 as MAPFRE Stadium welcomes supporters for its 19th season and the Black & Gold's 22nd overall campaign in MLS.
A complete 2017 MLS schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. 2017 local broadcast information for Crew SC will also be announced at a later date.
Tickets for the March 4 match are set to be available at a limited-time, special price, beginning at $17 starting today at 1:00 p.m. ET. Tickets to Opening Match on March 4 can also be acquired by purchasing 2017 Season Ticket Memberships or a 10-Match Plan or a Holiday Scarf Package. The Holiday Scarf Package includes two tickets to the March 4 Opening Match against the Fire at MAPFRE Stadium along with two tickets to a future match of their choice and two limited edition Crew SC scarves, all starting at $88. Ticket information on all avenues to seats for Opening Match is available by calling 614-447-2739 and online via ColumbusCrewSC.com. Additional information for purchasing single-match tickets for all Crew SC regular-season home matches will be released at a later date.
TICKETS: Crew SC to open 2017 vs. Chicago Fire
For Crew SC, March 4 is the earliest date that an Opening Match has been played at home. Overall, this is the second earliest date that Crew SC has begun the regular season. The earliest the Black & Gold have ever kicked off regular-season was 2013, a campaign that began on March 2 in a road match at Chivas USA. This match marks the fifth time that Crew SC has opened the season against Chicago – the first since 2006 – and the third time overall that the two conference rivals begin the season in a clash at MAPFRE Stadium.
In 2016, Crew SC supporters helped set a pair of MAPFRE Stadium attendance records. Crew SC saw a record six regular-season sellouts at MAPFRE Stadium in 2016 while also setting a MAPFRE Stadium single-season total attendance record. Under Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, the 2017 MLS Preseason begins on Monday, January 23, 2016 after entrance physicals and testing. From there, the club departs to Sao Paulo, Brazil for its first preseason camp. Crew SC is slated to remain in Brazil through February 9 before returning to Columbus. The team will be in Central Ohio at SuperKick in Powell from February 8 – February 12 for the second camp of preseason. Following the time in Ohio, the club travels to Charleston, South Carolina to participate in the 2017 Carolina Challenge Cup.
