Boston Legacy FC set to move into renovated White Stadium in 2028

The Boston Legacy FC will play out of state next season despite a ruling from the state’s highest court that opened a path for the team to move into White Stadium.

The Legacy will continue to play at Pawtucket, Rhode Island’s Centreville Bank Stadium in 2027 before finally moving into White Stadium in 2028 following years of legal pushback.

In the year-long wait, White Stadium will continue to undergo renovations, with crews working six days a week, in order to welcome the professional women’s soccer team.

Team officials say that once renovations are complete, White Stadium will sport 10,500 permanent seats and a natural grass playing surface.

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Boston Public Schools will continue to own the stadium and BPS teams and students will still be able to use the facility. The project will triple public access to the venue, increasing availability from 35 to 105 hours per week, while more than doubling BPS programming from roughly 250 to at least 700 hours annually, the team said.

“Throughout this journey, we have been guided by a simple belief: Boston deserves a world-class home for professional women’s soccer and youth sports–a home that will shape the future of our club, expand opportunities for Boston Public Schools students, and serve families and communities for generations to come,” said Jennifer Epstein, Controlling Owner of Boston Legacy FC.

The Legacy have played at Centreville Bank Stadium after opening the season at Gillette Stadium. The NWSL will begin the the 2027 season in February.

“Centreville Bank Stadium provides the type of intimate, energetic atmosphere that can create a true home-field advantage, and we’re excited to welcome Boston Legacy FC back for another season,” said Paul Byrne, General Manager of Centreville Bank Stadium.

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy and a group of residents brought the lawsuit, arguing that White Stadium sits on protected parkland covered by Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution. Article 97 generally requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature before converting public parkland to another use.

The SJC concluded that while the land was originally acquired as parkland in the 1880s, legislative actions in 1947 and 1950 effectively changed the stadium parcel’s status decades before Article 97 was adopted in 1972.

According to the ruling, the Legislature authorized the transfer of the stadium parcel to the George Robert White Fund in 1947 and later designated White Stadium and the land beneath it as a “school building and yard” under the control of Boston Public Schools in 1950.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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