IX CENTER PARTS WAYS WITH CLEVELAND CRUNCH AFTER SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND

Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 5, 2022 - After a successful home-opening weekend for the Cleveland Crunch at the International Exposition Center (IX Center) Jan. 28-29, the facility has decided to part ways with the Crunch organization and will not host its events scheduled March 18 and 19.

The Crunch was initially supposed to host four of its six home games at the IX Center: Jan. 28 and Jan. 29 and March 18 and March 19, while hosting the other two, Feb. 11 and Feb. 25, at the Soccer Sportsplex in North Olmsted, Ohio.

The Cleveland Crunch contacted the IX Center Jan. 31 to pursue its March event dates, but the IX Center said it cannot provide the organization with a license agreement for March 18-19, 2023, as the Crunch events are not a good fit for them “financially or operationally.”

The Cleveland Crunch sincerely thanks the IX Center for the generous hospitality and accommodations Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, and for allowing the organization to host such a memorable event for Cleveland soccer fans.

“It was a pleasure to work with the IX Center to host our home opening weekend games at our largest venue to date since our return in 2020,” says Luciano Ruscitto, Cleveland Crunch Managing Partner. “We sold nearly 3,000 tickets and brought in a new generation of Crunch fans while also creating new experiences for long-time Crunch fans. This experience helped our brand and organization grow immensely and showed us that the demand for indoor soccer is increasing. We look forward to a bright future ahead and wish the IX Center nothing but the best.”

The Cleveland Crunch is continuing to move forward positively and is currently working on a resolution for its games March 18 (vs. the Detroit Waza Flo) and March 19 (vs. the Cincinnati Swerve). 

If you already purchased tickets for these event(s), your tickets are secure and will be valid for use at the new venue. Depending on where the Crunch hosts its March games, the organization will distribute refunds accordingly (i.e. if the ticket price of the IX Center does not match the new venue ticket price).

The Cleveland Crunch currently turned off ticket purchases for March 18 and 19, but plans to open up ticket sales for these events within the next week.

All season ticket holders and individuals who purchased tickets for these event(s) will be contacted. Stay tuned on our social media channels and website for future announcements. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us directly at info@theclevelandcrunch.com.

The 4-1 Crunch will return to the Soccer Sportsplex at 7:00 p.m. Feb. 11 to take on the Cincinnati Swerve. Tickets for Saturday’s match are on sale now and available for purchase within the Ticket Swift app or through this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/cleveland-crunch-2022-2023-single-game-tickets-1528709.