Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC hosts its home opener this Saturday afternoon when it welcomes Arizona United SC to Switchbacks Stadium, and the club’s fans will notice some prominent new additions to the stadium after substantial offseason investment made by the club.

At the center of the upgrades is a new video scoreboard that will sit at the top of the stadium’s west stand. Also added is a new 500-seat section at the southern end of the ground, with the club planning further expansion to raise its capacity to at least 5,000 fans by the start of next season.

After a strong performance on the field in the club’s inaugural season, players like standout forward Miguel Gonzalez are happy to see the stadium and club continue to grow.

“It's exciting to see them adding to the stadium and making the experience better for the fans,” Gonzalez told the Colorado Springs Gazette’s Joe Paisley. “We will do our best to make it as much fun for them with what they see on the field. This promises to be an exciting season.”

The Switchbacks have tripled their season-ticket base from their inaugural season, while also adding major new sponsorships that will help offset the almost $3 million cost of the upgrades at the stadium. With the club looking to raise Colorado Springs’ visibility in the national eye, Mayor John Suthers is delighted to have the Switchbacks as part of the city’s community.

“Their leadership has done a really good job reaching out to become part of the sports culture in Colorado Springs,” Suthers told Paisley. “The Switchbacks have enthusiastically embraced our great city as its home and we are proud to have it represent us in the United Soccer League and across the nation. We want the Switchbacks to be a permanent fixture in Colorado Springs.”