Tiger Woods-Backed Golf League Rolls Out New Stadium Plans Following Collapse At First Arena
After heavy storms led to the partial collapse of its under-construction arena, a virtual golf league backed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy is taking a mulligan with a more resilient design.
The league, called TGL presented by SoFi, revealed design renderings and plans for a new stadium in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on the Palm Beach State College campus. The league is expected to launch Jan. 7 in a steel-supported stadium built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, according to a release.
The plans were approved as part of a new contract with the college’s board of trustees that includes additional rent payments to the school.
The new stadium, named SoFi Center, will be around the same size as the previous plan, rising 75 feet and spanning 250K SF with seating for 1,500 spectators. Professional golfers would hit drives into a 3K SF screen that is 20 times larger than a standard golf simulator before moving to a 22K SF short-game complex that includes adjustable putting greens.
TGL, which is being run by an entity called TMRW Sports, with backing from the PGA Tour, will feature six three-man teams with some of golf’s top names competing in prime-time matches televised on ESPN and ESPN+.
In addition to Woods and McIlroy, other players set to participate include Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel.
SoFi announced its sponsorship of the league when its first stadium plans were announced in October.
“Investing in sports like our partnerships with the NFL and the NBA has proven unequivocally valuable, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with TMRW Sports to bring the SoFi Center and TGL to life,” SoFi CEO Anthony Noto said in a statement.
The new SoFi Center is expected to have a 50-year life span and cost around $50M to construct, while the original plan was only set to last for 15 years at a cost of $11M, The Palm Beach Post reported.
After the collapse of an air-supported dome above the originally planned stadium, TMRW Sports and the Palm Beach State College board of trustees negotiated new terms for the league to build a more permanent structure.
The new deal will see TMRW Sports pay $200K a year to the college for the site in 2023 and 2024, the PBP reported. That payment will increase to $440K from 2025 to 2028 and increase by 2% annually through 2033 and increase an additional 2% through 2038.
TMRW’s 20-year lease is split into five-year terms, with the league’s sponsor able to renew the deal in 2039 for a price to be determined by an appraisal.
The original deal for the 10.7-acre site was reached in late 2022, and TMRW donated $1M to the school last February for scholarships, academic program development and career development opportunities.
TMRW is leaning into the star power of the players and the team sponsors to generate interest in the league.
The regionalized teams are being led by high-profile sports investors like Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC and the Pittsburgh Penguins; Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets; Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons; Serena Williams and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian; and Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
TMRW has also signed promotion deals with musicians like Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Macklemore, Jake Owen and Darius Rucker, as well as NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant.
