In late 2011, a group led by former California Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez began exploring the possibility of having an MLS team in the Sacramento area, originally looking at stadium sites in the suburb of
Elk Grove. Sacramento Republic FC was announced as a 2014 expansion team for the second-division
United Soccer League on December 3, 2012. Local business leaders, including Warren Smith, hoped to convert the franchise to a Major League Soccer team by 2016. On September 17, 2014, the team announced its intentions to acquire property at the Sacramento Railyards infill project for a soccer stadium. More details of the stadium were announced in late 2015:
HNTB was hired as the lead architects of the stadium, and the design of the stadium (partially influenced by fan input) was revealed on December 1, 2015. The official go-ahead from the City Council was given on November 10, 2016. However, the construction of the stadium was delayed as the team did not have an investor who satisfied the requirements of MLS. On January 22, 2019,
Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner
Ron Burkle was announced as the investor needed for MLS promotion. Around two months later, the stadium design was updated; additions to the old design included a 360-degree concourse/pedestrian walkway, new seating at the canopy level on the west side of the stadium, and additional field-level seating areas. The cost for the stadium was raised to approximately $252 million. Following the expansion announcement, construction on the stadium was expected to begin in 2020 ahead of a 2022 opening, but the
COVID-19 pandemic delayed the move to MLS to 2023. The MLS expansion bid was placed on hold in March 2021 after Burkle left the ownership group. In April 2022, the team announced plans for a downsized stadium on the site. The revised stadium plan, which is not contingent on the revival of the MLS bid, calls for a 12,000-15,000 seat facility that can be expanded in the future should demand warrant it. On November 7, 2024, during an announcement that announced the team had been sold to the
Wilton Rancheria tribe, plans to restart development on the site were announced, with a capacity of 12,000 that could be expanded to 20,000 should MLS move forward with expansion plans in Sacramento. The new plan calls for $175 million to be directed to the site and $42 million on surrounding infrastructure on the 31-acre site. The stadium and entertainment district are planned to be opened by 2027. Sacramento City Council unanimously voted to approve construction on the stadium on June 10, 2025. ==Design==