Columbus Crew prepares for 28th season in MLS this weekend, announced new items in 2023 for Crew fans ahead of March 4 Home Opener 

COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew prepares to begin its 28th MLS season on the road against the Philadelphia Union this Saturday, Feb. 25 and will host D.C. United for the home opener at Lower.com Field on Saturday, March 4. Ahead of the home opener, the Club announced a variety of updates on exciting and new elements to the fan experience at Lower.com Field.

“As we enter our second full season at Lower.com Field, we are excited to share with fans several enhancements to their best in class fan experience,” said Columbus Crew President of Business Operations Kristin Bernert. “As part of the 2023 season, we are committed to promoting local, Columbus brands and expanding our creativity in the food and beverage offerings as well as offering unique experiences, new rituals, created in collaboration with Nordecke members, and enjoyable vantage points for fans.”

EXPANDED FOOD AND BEVERAGE PRODUCT AND PURCHASE OFFERINGS

Three new craft beer partners – Columbus-based Garage Beer, Wolf’s Ridge Brewing and Zaftig – will be available for purchase by fans 21+ in addition to Land Grant beer as the Club continues to focus on providing additional craft beer offerings with origins in Central Ohio.

New Levy Director of Operations at Lower.com Field, Sunny Day has joined the Crew’s matchday food and beverage operations as the venue looks to continue to innovate and elevate the fan experience. Previously, she served as Director of Premium at Levy specifically serving The Ohio State University and was responsible for leading premium sales, innovation and operations strategies in several venues across campus.

In the Tipico Sportsbook Club and River Clubs, ticketed fans will have enhanced food and beverage offerings with additional variety in 2023 to create an even better guest experience in two premium spaces:

• Tipico Sportsbook Club Members can now enjoy fan favorites, Gewiez specialty grilled sandwiches and a carvery station. The club will also include cocktails on tap as well as the first, in-stadium, automated bartending system, Barback. The Barback system is designed to customize drinks and get fans back to the action.
• In the River Club, fan favorites and signature chef’s table will be available. The signature chef’s table is an elevated experience that offers full course options and snacks to enjoy inside the club or to take back to the match. The full bar in the River Club features a variety of spirits and local brews and in 2023, cocktails on tap will be available at food locations in the club allowing guests to quickly grab a signature cocktail and a snack.

On the concourse, new 2023 additions include items at the below locations:

• Dirty Franks
  • Located in section 143, this local partner will offer an all-beef jumbo bratwurst and their signature brownie, “Blondies Have S’more Fun.”
  • Also new to the menu, Dirty Frank's plans to offer Funnel Cake Fries. Find their concession stand on the east side of the stadium.
• Tim Horton's
  • Fans can add syrup options to hot chocolate/coffee in 2023. Flavors will include vanilla, hazelnut and caramel – available at all coffee service locations: sections 107, 122, 132, 238, Tipico Sportsbook Club, and River Club.
• Pitchside Snacks
  • Offerings at this location will change with the season. Starting in March, loaded hot cocoa (toppings ranging from sprinkles to cordials) will be available during cooler matches and in the summer, United Dairy Farmers hand-dipped ice cream will be available, all at the location in section 107.
• Market 96
  • Sweets from local favorite, Bake Me Happy, as well as cotton candy and Kettle Corn.
  • Fresh selections such as garden salad with roasted chickpeas, roasted veggie sandwich or curry chicken wrap.
• Links and Beers
  • In section 110, fans can enjoy a bacon jalapeño cheddar brat or an Italian sausage with their choice of fresh grilled peppers and onions or traditional sauerkraut.
• Legacy Smokehouse
  • In addition to tasty BBQ, fans can now enjoy the perfect combination of crushed cookies and pudding, the “Cup O’ Pitch” for dessert in sections 105 and 130.
• Crew Grill
  • Located in section 105, along with many fan favorites, fans can find a fried fish sandwich, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato onion, pickles and tartar sauce.
• Columbus Craves
  • Fans can now try the new hard hat nacho with mango BBQ brisket, queso blanco, sour cream, pickled jalapeños and diced green onions – or can try the bacon jalapeno cheddar brat at the locations in section 122 and 238.

The Club has expanded mobile ordering. Fans can simply scan the QR code, select the location, place an order, receive text updates and pick up their order at the Mobile Order Pick up window in the selected location. Before the start of the 2023 campaign, fans are encouraged to download the official Columbus Crew app to take advantage of matchday mobile ordering opportunities.

• Mobile ordering is now available at the following locations: Crew Grill (section 105), Donatos (sections 107), Donatos (section 132), Hot Chicken Takeover (section 124).

ONE CLUB: 2023 MATCHDAY RITUALS AND FIRST-CLASS FAN EXPERIENCE

New goal celebration music

• With the fans, the Club has been on the search for a new goal song to celebrate the pinnacle moment of the match. Fans have the opportunity to vote on their favorite by visiting columbuscrew.com/fanvote and the winning song will be displayed at the first match on March 4.

“Match Ignitor”

• Continuing with the theme of construction Crew and the nod to history, a new pre-match moment has been created meant to ignite the crowd and highlight an individual with ties to the Columbus Community.

• Will take place in the heart of the stadium, the Nordecke, and debut March 4.

“Construction Cove”

• The Jackhammer celebration will continue with an enhanced look and feel of "Construction Cove." The location will feel more like a Construction Zone with more bricks and cones.

Nationwide Man of the Match

• Starting at the 70th minute, fans will be able to vote on their Nationwide Man of the Match, to then be announced after the Wise Men serenade with the Nordecke.

Team Arrivals

• Beginning approximately 45 minutes before warm-ups, the team is set to enter the venue each match off the bus and arrive as a team down Columbus Crew Way through the West Lobby. Supporters are encouraged to join this free opportunity to cheer on the players upon their arrival.

Lower.com Field encourages supporters to take advantage of Express Entry featuring seamless and quick access into the stadium through Facial Ticketing, available at all gates. Look for the yellow “Express Entry” signs above turnstiles on the left-hand side of each main gate. Visit the Mobile Ticketing page for helpful instructional guides on how to access your mobile tickets and how to scan through the stadium's Axess turnstiles and Express Entry lanes.

Fans are advised to view the complete A-Z Guide for Matchday and Stadium Policy refreshers to “Know Before You Go” ahead of the 2023 season.

GROWING THE GAME: CREW YOUTH FUTURES TRAINING PROGRAM

The Crew is committed to continuing to grow the game of soccer in Ohio and has unveiled its Futures Training Program. After piloting the program in 2022, Crew Youth has officially launched its Futures Training Program, focused on creating individual skills sessions to complement a players current team training environment

• Boys and Girls ages Under-9 to U-12 will receive an emphasis on individual development in a small group setting as players work towards technical mastery, maximizing touches & decisions.

• Hosted at Historic Crew Stadium in a four-week training cycle, players will get the opportunity to play on the field of the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer, coached by Crew Youth Staff in a 1:10 coach to player ratio.

• Information on pricing and registration for upcoming sessions can be found at TheCrewYouth.com

SPEED AND DIRECTION: VELOCITY KIT

On February 15, the Crew unveiled its newest secondary jersey, The “VeloCITY” Black kit by adidas, in advance of the 2023 Major League Soccer season.

The inspiration for the VeloCITY kit was movement and speed as the Club looks to take the energy and passion of its home city of Columbus with them on the road. As the Crew looks to continue to be first movers, its focus continues to be not just on being first with speed - but also progressing, unified with a clear direction on and off the pitch.

This season’s VeloCity kit puts the Crew’s two most identifiable colors, the Black & Gold, on display – donning visual elements that are synonymous with the team’s hard work and determination, as well as the passion of its supporters as the club aims to never stand still. Pairing with the VeloCITY black kit will be the Club’s Gold Standard kit which debuted in 2022. The front and center of both jerseys will proudly feature the Club’s official jersey sponsor, Nationwide. The Club’s right sleeve partner will again be Tipico Sportsbook.

The Club additionally announced that it has partnered with a local non-profit, the Columbus Fashion Alliance, to secure local fashion designers, photographers and videographers to create and showcase a small capsule of merchandise inspired by the Club’s newest kit. As part of the collaboration, the Club is proudly working with CFA to provide access to opportunities for the city's creatives to dive deeper into their craft. Both organizations look forward to telling and championing the stories of Columbus’s up and coming creatives throughout the 2023 season. The capsule project will be deeply rooted in Central Ohio with additional content to be released that showcases the stories of the up-and-coming individuals that make up our City. Notably, Columbus is home to the third highest concentration of fashion designers in the country, behind only New York and Los Angeles.

The new kit is currently available for purchase at the Crew Shop located at Lower.com Field (96 Columbus Crew Way, Columbus, OH 43215) and online here.

DEBUT OF THEATRE BOXES AND PARTY DECKS

The Crew is adding two additional premium section offerings at its world-class and dynamic home, Lower.com Field, for the 2023 season. With 99 percent of all premium seats already sold-out for the year, the Crew has added a pair of unique offerings that are on-sale now: The Party Deck and Theatre Boxes.

The new Party Deck stands above the north end of Lower.com Field, above the most passionate supporters in the Nordecke. The spacious, semi-private bays of the Party Deck will offer a unique, birds-eye view of the stadium. These all-inclusive seats feature food and beverage with every ticket and are sure to capture the atmosphere of the venue, fueled by the Nordecke. Nationally renowned for their passion, the Nordecke creates a unique fan experience through 90 minutes of non-stop action. Customers seeking more information should contact groupsales@columbuscrew.com.

Theatre Boxes will be available in sections 131 and 101/102 and provide excellent views of the pitch at the top of the lower bowl sections at the northeast and southeast corners of the stadium, respectively.

All-inclusive food and beverages are provided with a private fridge in each box with additional access to the Tipico Sportsbook Club.

Customers seeking more information on Theatre Boxes should contact seasontickets@columbuscrew.com.

NEW NORDECKE TAILGATE SPACE IN NORTH LOT

Feedback from the Club’s most ardent supporters was that the inclusivity and spirit of the previous tailgate space on matchdays at Historic Crew Stadium would truly be impactful in our new, downtown home.

The Club is pleased to be able to create a space for Crew fans at Supporter HQ. Hosted by the supporters group Nordecke, fans can experience a fun pre-game experience with a festive atmosphere. Fans will enjoy games, food, music, and more alongside the Nordecke and supporter groups. Timing and other details to come from Nordecke at a later date. For more information, contact Nordecke at communications@nordecke.com.

MLS SEASON PASS FOR CATCHING THE CREW IN 2023

Fans can now sign up for MLS Season Pass, the unprecedented subscription service now available on the Apple TV app in more than 100 countries and regions.

Once the season kicks off on February 25, MLS Season Pass will feature every live Crew and MLS regular-season match, the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and Leagues Cup1 all in one place, with consistent match times and no blackouts — a first in live sports broadcasting. With an MLS Season Pass subscription, fans can enjoy every MLS match on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com.

MLS Season Pass will be home to the most expansive and accessible Crew content lineup ever for Crew fans, including all MLS and Leagues Cup matches, as well as hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games during the season. Every match features the ability for fans to join the action live or watch it from the start.

All matches will feature both English- and Spanish-language announcers, while matches involving Canadian teams will also offer commentary in French. Pregame shows and the postgame wrap-up will be available in English and Spanish. Fans in the US and Canada will also have the option to select their home team’s radio for broadcast audio on the Apple TV app where available.

Fans can select their favorite club for a more personalized experience throughout the Apple TV app. Once a fan selects a favorite club, their matches will automatically appear in the Up Next watchlist on the Apple TV app, so they will never miss a moment. Fans can also opt into receiving a notification on iPhone and iPad whenever their match is about to start.

A subscription to MLS Season Pass will be included with each full-season ticket account. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password. Fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month or $79 per season.

WELCOME HOME, FANS

Soccer fans looking to experience Crew matches have a number of options as Season Ticket Membership for the 2023 season, which are currently on sale.

Benefits of the Season Ticket Membership include a subscription to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, exclusive, member-only events, a discount at the Crew Shop, monthly, interest free payment plans, the ability to purchase discounted parking, pre-sale access to all events at Lower.com Field, Historic Crew Stadium and FirstEnergy Stadium, and a dedicated account manager and service representative. Fans interested in purchasing Season Ticket Memberships are encouraged to call 614-447-2739, email seasontickets@columbuscrew.com, or visit www.columbuscrew.com/tickets/memberships to get connected with a Season Ticket Member representative.

The Club is also offering several partial and single-match offerings, including letting fans pick the plan that works for them with a 10-match plan and a six-match plan that allows fans to pick their most-wanted matches. Single-match tickets are available as low as $36 are on-sale for the general public and are available here.

As previously announced, match days at Lower.com Field are accompanied by a 2023 Theme Nights schedule, providing a variety of fun and engaging matchday experiences throughout the year.