Expanding Madison’s Playing Field

The City of Madison Parks Division wants to know: Is there a way to address our community's athletic facility needs without increasing the tax levy? 

Madison residents looking for athletic field space know how difficult it can be to find multipurpose fields. For decades, the park system has lacked sufficient athletic field spaces, especially capable of supporting tournament play. 

Recognizing this need, the 2025-2030 Park and Open Space Plan includes an action to “provide sufficient fields and courts to accommodate tournaments and other multiple field or court competitions." Demand since the acquisition of Northeast Park has continued to outpace the growth of the Madison park system. With Madison's population growing by nearly 1.5% annually and a younger median age, the demand for community recreation is strong. From 2018 to 2024, the annual number of reservations for field sports increased by more than 21%. Notably, soccer has seen the largest overall growth during that period. Ultimate Frisbee continues to grow and pressure the system with high utilization. There is also a known demand for sports that are somewhat new to the Madison area, including cricket and lacrosse. 

A 2022 report from the Madison Area Sports Commission, by Victus Advisors found there is a limited supply of sports complexes in Dane County with enough fields or indoor courts to host large regional tournaments. Most fields and courts in the Madison parks system and other publicly available facilities in the county are not large enough for a regional tournament to host multiple teams and games simultaneously. This deficiency forces local teams to travel to other municipalities. 

According to the report, Madison may be an ideal spot to host a regional indoor or outdoor sports facility focused on sports tourism. More than 11.9 million people live within a 2.5-hour drive time of Madison, and more than 27 million people within a 5-hour drive time of Madison. 

Within Madison, Northeast Park, 5501 Tancho Drive, may be an ideal location for a sports complex. Situated near Interstate 90 and State Highway 151, the park offers convenient regional access. It is a quick 13-minute drive from Dane County Regional Airport, and about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. 

Throughout the country, creative public private partnerships have successfully developed athletic complexes that benefit both the public and private entities in the partnership. While every partnership is structured differently, they all demonstrate how collaboration can expand recreational opportunities without relying on public funding. 

Madison is exploring what a private-public partnership could look like in our community, and we want to hear from interested parties. Check out the Request for Information (RFI) for more information and how to respond. The RFI can be viewed on Vendornet and Demandstar.