In 2000, Bob Lozinak, then-owner of the
Albuquerque Dukes, the
Triple-A affiliate of the
Los Angeles Dodgers, sold the team to a
Portland, Oregon-based group, who moved the team to Portland as the
Beavers. The Dukes had played in Albuquerque for almost 40 years. Their stadium,
Albuquerque Sports Stadium, was the second oldest in the league and was in disrepair. Finding another owner and team was not difficult. The Pacific Coast League had teams in Canada that they wanted to relocate. In 2001, a group headed by Tampa businessman Ken Young bought the
Calgary Cannons intending to move it to Albuquerque, contingent on building a park. Debate centered on whether to renovate the old Albuquerque Sports Stadium as a baseball-only park or build a brand new park downtown. Mayor Baca put the issue to a vote and the voters easily approved the $25 million needed to finance the project. As it turned out, the renovation of Albuquerque Sports Stadium turned into construction of a completely new facility. Almost nothing of the old Albuquerque Sports Stadium remains, apart from the playing field. However, the new park retains its predecessor's general structure, as well as its dimensions and the system connecting the dugout to the clubhouse. The new stadium was also intended to retain the old facility's well-known "drive-in" terrace, where fans could sit in their cars and watch the game for free. However, Isotopes management scrapped those plans due to security concerns and instead converted it into a play area for children. Like its predecessor, it is known as a hitter's park, due to the high altitude and dry air, but changes in the field were made to create more of a windscreen which allows the ball-protected lift. The fences were also brought in slightly. Isotopes Park was the home of the 2007
Triple-A All-Star Game, with the
International League defeating the Pacific Coast League, 7–5. The game was viewed by 12,367 in attendance; the game was also broadcast on ESPN2 and on radio. Albuquerque's
Valentino Pascucci was selected as the PCL MVP. Former Isotope Rob Stratton won the
Home Run Derby. On June 23, 2009, a single-game attendance record (since broken) was set when fans saw
Manny Ramirez make a rehab start after serving a 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. The Isotopes defeated the
Nashville Sounds 1–0. On September 20, 2011, Isotopes Park was host to the 2011
Triple-A National Championship Game between the champions of the Pacific Coast League and the International League. The game featured the
Columbus Clippers defeating the
Omaha Storm Chasers, 8–3, in front of 9,569 fans. The Isotopes set a single-game attendance record in 2018 when 16,975 fans attended a game on Cinco de Mayo as part of minor league baseball's "Copa de la Diversión" promotion, in which the Isotopes played as the Mariachis de Nuevo México. In 2020, the Isotopes entered into a corporate naming rights agreement with
Rio Grande Credit Union to rebrand the facility as Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park.
University of New Mexico In 2012, New Mexico ranked 38th among
Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 1,618 per home game.
Soccer New Mexico United, an expansion team playing in the
USL Championship, began play at Isotopes Park on March 9, 2019. The inaugural match, which finished as a 1–1 draw against
Fresno FC, was attended by 12,896 fans. The record attendance for a match is 15,247, set on August 17, 2019 against Los Angeles Galaxy II. ==Features==