History
In 2001, Mandalay Sports Entertainment, owner of the Shreveport SwampDragons Class AA baseball team, reached an agreement with Southwest Sports Group to move the team to Frisco for the 2003 baseball season. As part of the deal, Southwest Sports Group assumed part-ownership of both the team and the ballpark to be built following the 2002 season. The project, designed by David M. Schwarz Architectural Services and HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, broke ground on February 6, 2002.
The ballpark serves as the anchor for a 74-acre (0.30 km2) $300 million development project near the intersection of State Highway 121 and the Dallas North Tollway. The project was jointly funded by the city of Frisco and Southwest Sports Group. Frisco put forth 67 million to build the complex, which was raised through special financing, unconnected to the city tax rate. On January 21, 2003, it was announced that local company Dr Pepper/Seven Up had purchased the naming rights for the new ballpark and retained exclusive non-alcoholic beverage rights for an undisclosed amount.
The ballpark opened for its first game on April 3, 2003, a RoughRiders loss to the Tulsa Drillers. The RoughRiders earned their first victory in the ballpark the next day, with the RoughRiders' Kurt Airoso hitting the park's first home run.
Dr Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark was renamed Dr Pepper Ballpark on March 31, 2006. On that date, the RoughRiders' Major League affiliate, the Texas Rangers, defeated the Florida Marlins in an exhibition match played at Dr Pepper Ballpark. The sold-out game was the ballpark's first major league game of any kind. Overall attendance has ranked in the top 10 in all classes of minor league baseball during the RoughRiders' first nine seasons. The stadium has ranked first in all of Class AA in attendance for 6 consecutive seasons.Average attendance at RoughRiders games is 8,000. On average, there are thirty sell-out games per season.
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