Legacy Park

• 1. Introduction

  ›

  Arizona Athletic Grounds sits on 275 acres in Mesa, Arizona, on ground where General Motors once tested its vehicles. The complex opened in January 2022 and ranks among the largest youth sports and entertainment complexes in North America. Inside its footprint are 158 fields and courts, more than 475,000 square feet of indoor space, and an entire campus that runs without cash. In 2025 it drew more than 2.8 million visitors, with guests arriving from all 50 states. Yet within sixteen months of opening, the venue had already changed its name twice, lost a banking sponsor, and watched its owner file for bankruptcy. How did a facility this size rise on a former carmaker's proving ground? Why did it stumble so quickly, and who pulled it out of the wreckage? And how did a sports park in the Arizona desert end up on a FIFA World Cup brochure?

• 2. A Park Built On Rejection

  ›

  In 2018, Mesa voters turned down a bond proposal for a nearby state-owned sports facility. That rejection opened a path for a privately financed alternative. Legacy Sports developed the project and broke ground in October 2020 under the name Legacy Sports Park. In September 2021, a 10-year naming rights agreement with Bell Bank changed the venue's name to Bell Bank Park. Construction costs were reported at roughly $280 million for the privately funded build. The facility opened its doors to the public on the 7th of January 2022. The name on the gate would not stay fixed for long.

• 3. Bankruptcy And Rescue

  ›

  On the 14th of April 2023, Bell Bank ended its naming rights agreement, and the venue reverted to Legacy Park. Just weeks later, on the 1st of May 2023, owner Legacy Cares filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing reported approximately $366.7 million in liabilities against $242.3 million in assets, a gap that left the complex deeply underwater. In December 2023, the property was acquired out of bankruptcy by AZ Athletic Associates LLC. That buyer was a joint venture between Mike Burke and Rocky Mountain Resources, and it rebranded the venue as Arizona Athletic Grounds. The new owners would soon report numbers the previous regime never reached.

• 4. Numbers That Climbed

  ›

  More than 2.8 million visitors passed through Arizona Athletic Grounds in 2025, its second full year under new ownership. That figure marked a 16% increase over the prior year, with guests representing all 50 states. Nearly one million of those visits landed in the first quarter of 2025 alone. Tournaments tied to Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents' Day weekend drove that early-year surge. Retail sales told a parallel story, growing more than 55% from 2024 to 2025. New food and beverage additions, including Wetzel's Pretzels, helped push that growth.

• 5. Inside The Footprint

  ›

  158 fields and courts fill the complex, supporting basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, beach volleyball, soccer, pickleball, cheer, and dance. Outdoor venues include a 2,200-seat championship field and 24 multi-purpose fields, 20 of them turf and four natural grass. The pickleball setup runs to 41 courts anchored by an 1,800-seat shaded championship court. There are also 12 beach volleyball courts, eight baseball and softball diamonds, and a 2.7-acre outdoor event yard. Indoors, more than 475,000 square feet of fieldhouse space holds 50 volleyball courts, 16 basketball courts, and six futsal courts. The indoor build also includes a gymnastics center, a dance studio, a cheer gym, and a sports performance center.

• 6. A Cashless Campus

  ›

  The campus operates entirely cashless, with a full slate of on-site food and beverage venues serving its crowds. Bristol's is a 500-seat full-service restaurant and bar at the heart of that offering. FreshMarket runs as a grab-and-go market, while Arizona Grounds pours coffee and Zaria handles pizza. Jaelicious operates as a dessert counter, and concession stands serve burgers, tenders, breakfast, and snacks. During tournament weekends, a rotating selection of food trucks joins the mix. That tournament rhythm is exactly what fills these venues, and the calendar behind it runs nearly year-round.

• 7. The Tournament Calendar

  ›

  In December 2025, Arizona Athletic Grounds hosted MLS NEXT Fest, which Major League Soccer described as the largest youth soccer scouting and talent identification event in the United States. The event brought 1,474 teams from more than 250 clubs to play 2,400 matches over 12 days. Beyond that, the venue hosts the annual Section 7 high school basketball recruiting tournament and the USA Basketball 3X Championships. In 2026, the complex entered a multi-year agreement with Triple Crown Sports to host 11 baseball tournaments through 2029, including the Arizona Spring Championships. The Professional Pickleball Association's Carvana Mesa Cup runs at the facility annually. The roster of past guests stretches further, taking in events that pointed the complex toward an international stage.

• 8. Onto The World Stage

  ›

  In late 2024, FIFA added Arizona Athletic Grounds to its 2026 FIFA World Cup team base camp brochure. That listing let participating nations select the facility as a training site during the group stage. In May 2026, the venue was selected as the official Team Base Camp training site for the Türkiye men's national team, working with Visit Mesa and the City of Mesa. Türkiye had qualified through the European playoffs, beating Romania in the semifinal before defeating Kosovo 1-0 in the final. That win secured the nation's third all-time World Cup appearance and its first since 2002, when Türkiye finished third. Drawn into Group D alongside the United States, Paraguay, and Australia, the team opened play against Australia on the 13th of June at BC Place in Vancouver. Training sessions remain closed to the public and coordinated with FIFA protocols, though a public Community Day was scheduled for the 8th of June 2026 on the former GM proving ground in Mesa.