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Content Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sport
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Dallas is a Powerhouse for Wo m e n ’s S p o r t s
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Four State Champions, One Stage: The Roland Parrish Classic Gives Back
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Pros At Home
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Latest From DSC, P i c k l e b a l l Wo r l d C h a m p i o n s h i p
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Upcoming Events
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Vo l u n t e e r s & W X V G l o b a l S e r i e s
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Community Champions Celebrating Hispanic Heritage with Three Collegiate Athletes
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DALLAS IS A POWERHOUSE FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS By: Kim Esparza
Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sport
Women’s sports are experiencing a major moment in North Texas. The region has long welcomed some of the biggest events in women athletics, from NCAA Women’s Final Four to major youth competitions. These events have brought a variety of sports, teams, athletes, and spectators to the region. This fall, that momentum continues with the region taking the spotlight in women’s soccer, rugby, basketball, and volleyball. From international stars to emerging young talent, fans will have the opportunity to experience some of the biggest names in women’s sports. The Dallas Pulse enter their season as reigning Major League Volleyball Champions, while the Dallas Wings stay active in this postseason as they make their way to the WNBA playoffs. The momentum does not stop there; Dallas will host various international games this fall. Kicking the season off with the 2026 State Fair Clásico where Dallas Trinity FC will take on Chivas Femenil. The same day, the USA Women’s Rugby team will play against team Italy in their women’s international rugby series. Lastly, we welcome eight international women’s soccer teams as they participate in the 2026 Concacaf W Championship. Together, these events demonstrate the growing diversity of women’s sports across North Texas.
State Fair Clásico: DTFC vs. Chivas Femenil International club soccer returns to Dallas on Saturday, October 17, as Dallas Trinity FC hosts Chivas Femenil under the eyes of Big Tex at the Cotton Bowl Stadium at 4:00 p.m. in the second annual State Fair Clásico. Every match ticket also includes admission to the State Fair of Texas, giving fans a full day of fair favorites and world-class soccer. The first State Fair Clásico in 2025 saw Dallas Trinity FC face Club América Femenil in front of 22,838 fans, setting a Texas attendance record for a professional women’s sporting event. This year, Dallas Trinity FC welcomes Chivas Femenil, one of Mexico’s most dominant clubs, giving fans another chance to celebrate the continued growth of the women’s game.
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STATE FAIR CLÁSICO TICKETS
s Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • WXV Global Series: USA Women’s Rugby vs. Italy North Texas will welcome international ruby on October 17, when the USA Women’s national Team faces Italy at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium at 5:00 PM as a part of their women’s international rugby series. The matchup will bring together the best of American women’s rugby and one of Europe’s top rugby nations. Whether you are a long-time rugby fan or new to the sport, this match is an opportunity to experience the speed, physicality, and excitement of rugby. Hosting significant competitions like this helps introduce more fans to the game and inspires future generations of athletes. Demonstrating that North Texas has become a hub where athletes from different nations and sports come to compete. USA VS ITALY TICKETS
Championship. Texas Health Mansfield Stadium will host the tournament’s quarterfinals on November 27 and 28, the semifinals on December 1 and the play-in on December 2. All eight nations will fight for a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the chance to represent the region in the 2028 LA Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament. The tournament is expected to feature some of the biggest names in women’s soccer, including Ballon d’Or nominees such as Rose Lavelle from the United States, Scarlett Camberos from Mexico, Khadija Shaw from Jamaica, and Melchie Dumornay from Haiti. With the arrival of such stars, Dallas will have the opportunity to witness world-class athletes close to home. CONCACAF W CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS
From professional leagues to international competitions, Dallas has something for everyone this fall. Fans will have the chance to witness world-class athletes compete across soccer, rugby, basketball, and volleyball, while local fans and young athletes can come together to support and celebrate the women shaping the future of sports.
2026 Concacaf W Championship North Texas will also host some of the worlds best national teams in the 2026 Concacaf W
Whether Dallas’ professional teams are making playoff runs or international teams are competing on the biggest stages, this fall highlights the growing presence of women’s sports in North Texas.
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FOUR STATE CHAMPIONS, ONE STAGE: THE ROLAND PARRISH CLASSIC GIVES BACK By: Ben Harbuck
Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sport Willie Gaston played quarterback at North Shore more than 20 years ago, and now he’s the Mustangs’ head coach. When he talks about what makes the program special, he points to the bleachers. “We have people in the stands who were here when I played,” he said. That’s where Texas high school football lives. A program is more than its current roster or its trophy case. It’s about community. The grandparents who have lived in the town for decades, the parents who wore the same jersey, and the kids in the stands waiting for their turn. In South Dallas, that history runs deep. Before Jason Todd took over at South Oak Cliff, no Dallas ISD school had won a UIL football state title in 58 years. Todd has since won three, and he’s the first Black head coach in UIL history to do so, recently followed up by DeSoto’s Claude Mathis. Which brings up one of Texas’s strongest rivalries: DeSoto and Duncanville sit about 15 minutes apart just outside of Dallas. In 2022 and 2023, they split every 6A title in the state. Roland Parrish understands that history. The Dallas businessman is committed to giving back to the Dallas community by supporting causes that advance youth education and welfare, and this year, high school football gave him a new way to do it. In February, the UIL’s realignment moved DeSoto down to Class 5A based on enrollment. That meant the Eagles and Duncanville would no longer meet in district play, and one of the state’s best rivalries suddenly had no guaranteed spot on the calendar.
The last two meetings alone featured more than 30 Division I recruits. The two schools kept the game alive as a non-district matchup, and Parrish helped give them a bigger stage. DeSoto head coach Claude Mathis credited Parrish with connecting the dots and securing the Cotton Bowl. “What a great opportunity for our kids to play at the Cotton Bowl,” Mathis said when the game was announced in March. From there, the idea grew into a full day. The Parrish Charitable Foundation and the Dallas Sports Commission added a second game between South Oak Cliff and Houston’s North Shore and built the event around investing back into studentathletes and their schools. The four programs have combined for 16 UIL state championships, dubbing the September 12th doubleheader as the ‘Battle of the State Champions’. None of it works without the schools buying in. DeSoto and Duncanville could have scheduled easier opponents after realignment. Instead, both programs chose to keep playing each other. North Shore made the trip up from Houston to face the South Oak Cliff, a team that beat them a year earlier. These are four programs that usually measure themselves against one another, and they worked alongside the Parrish Charitable Foundation to build something bigger than a regular-season game, and bigger than any of their programs alone. It says a lot about the coaches, players and administrators on all four campuses that they saw the value in sharing the stage. The gates opened at 10 a.m. and one $20 ticket covered eight experiences around the stadium. The biggest one had nothing to do with football. The college expo
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s Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • brought in more than 15 schools, alongside a career and financial empowerment expo with North Texas banks and companies, a health and wellness expo, a STEM expo, and voter registration tables. The goal was to get students thinking about their future, their goals, local colleges, and HBCUs. All expo proceeds went into Parrish’s scholarship fund. The day also made the case for what the Cotton Bowl Stadium can be. Most people know it for college football, from the Red River Rivalry to the State Fair Classic, but the newly renovated stadium is more versatile than a couple of fall Saturdays. It’s home to USL’s Dallas Trinity FC & Atlético Dallas, hosted matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and has welcomed concerts, youth soccer, and high school playoff games for decades. The Parrish Classic added another chapter that keeps this historic venue part of the city’s present, not just its past.
final seconds. Two games decided by a combined three points, played in front of the families, alumni and future players who make these programs what they are. At halftime of the opener, UNT Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach, State Senator Royce West and Parrish presented DeSoto and Duncanville with four $10,000 scholarships to UNT Dallas, two for each school. The recipients will be chosen from next spring’s graduating seniors and start at UNT Dallas in August 2027. UNT Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach spoke to the students in the stands directly: “We built this university for students like you.... I’m honored to help present four $10,000 scholarships that will open doors for DeSoto and Duncanville students.” Parrish summed up his reason for all of it simply: “We’re pumping money into schools and underserved communities.” Texas high school football has always been more passionate than most states. That can be credited to the people in the stands, the ones who have been there for decades, and the kids who are waiting for their opportunity. The Roland Parrish Classic understood the assignment. They took four of the proudest programs in the state, put them in the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium, and made sure the students playing and watching left with more than a memory of the game. For communities that give so much to their teams, this was an event that gave something back.
Once the games kicked off, the football stole headlines. DeSoto, off to an 0-2 start, held off Duncanville 21-20 in the opener after blocking a late extra point. In the nightcap, North Shore edged South Oak Cliff 23-21 with a fourth-down stop in the
For more information on the Parrish Classic, visit www.parrishclassic.com and stay tuned for more updates on next year’s event.
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PROS AT HOME IN
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THE COMMISSION State Fair ClÁsico DTFC vs Chvias DTFC is set to face one of Mexico’s biggest clubs under Big Tex’s watchful eyes in the State Fair of Texas Clásico. That’s right: as the corny dogs sizzle, and the Ferris wheel spins, your Dallas Trinity will take the pitch for a can’t-miss showdown against Chivas de Guadalajara Femenil. One ticket covers it all. See Dallas Trinity FC take on Chivas de Guadalajara Femenil at the Cotton Bowl and enjoy full access to the State Fair of Texas!
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Pickleball World Championships The biggest pickleball event in the world is coming to Dallas. The Opendoor Pickleball World Championships runs Oct 30 to Nov 8 at Brookhaven Country Club, bringing the best players in the sport together for the title, plus concerts, food, and family fun all week. Use DALLAS20 for 20% off. GET 20% OFF TICKETS TO THE PICKLEBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS THROUGH THE LINK BELOW
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200 X 85: CCM DALLAS OCTOBER 10-12 MULTIPLE VENUES
RED RIVER RIVALRY OCTOBER 10 COTTON BOWL STADIUM
STATE FAIR CLASICÓ OCTOBER 17 COTTON BOWL STADIUM
WXV RUGBY SERIES: USA WOMEN’S EAGLES VS. ITALY OCTOBER 17 TEXAS HEALTH MANSFIELD STADIUM
PICKLEBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS NOVEMBER 2 - 8 BROOKHAVEN COUNTRY CLUB
INTRIGUE DANCE INTENSIVE NOVEMBER 6 - 8 HILTON DALLAS/PLANO GRANITE PARK
BIG 12 SOCCER TOURNAMENT NOVEMBER 9 - 14 TEXAS HEALTH MANSFIELD STADIUM
CLUB AMÉRICA CUP NOVEMBER 27-29 DALLAS SOCCER PARK
CONCACAF W CHAMPIONSHIP NOVEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 2 TEXAS HEALTH MANSFIELD STADIUM
Some of the world’s best are coming to Mansfield and you can be part of it all! Catch the USWNT, Canada, Mexico & more battling for World Cup and Olympic spots at the Concacaf W Championship, Nov. 27–Dec. 2, at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium. Volunteers needed all week; sign up through the link below!
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USA Rugby WXV Global Series The WXV Global Series lands on home soil! The USA Women’s Eagles host Italy on Sat, Oct 17 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, kicking off at 5 PM CT. Fresh off a 40-36 win in Ireland, the Eagles are ready. USA Rugby is offering an exclusive 20% OFF discount to DSC Subscribers. Click the button below to purchase discounted tickets! GET TICKETS Vo l u n t e e r - U S A Wo m e n s R u g b y | 1 1
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A PIECE OF HOME: CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE WITH THREE COLLEGIATE ATHLETES By: Ben Harbuck
Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports
Every September 15, back home in Querétaro, México, María José “Majo” and her family would dress up in traditional Mexican clothes and gather around a table of tamales, tacos and guacamole to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. Majo swims for the University of North Texas now, and Denton is a long way from that table. But the date she grew up celebrating is the same one that kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month, and Dallas has been celebrating it for decades. More than a century ago, families fleeing the Mexican Revolution settled just north of downtown Dallas in a neighborhood that became known as Little Mexico. They built churches, restaurants, and businesses of their own, including Miguel Martinez’s small café that grew into El Fenix. Many families and community members gathered at Pike Park every September to celebrate Mexican independence. That pattern has
repeated in Dallas ever since. People arrive carrying their food, their faith, and the new home they built without ever letting go of their old one. That is exactly what this month’s Community Champions have done, starting with Majo. Her parents wanted her in a sport, and she always chose swimming, but the person who inspired her to keep competing was her grandfather, a multisport athlete in his school days who never stopped encouraging her. She joined the Mexican junior national team at 13, and coming to Denton was not an easy call. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come to the US, but on my recruitment trip I knew this would be a great experience,” she said. “It’s been a challenge moving to a different country with a different language, but certainly it has helped me grow and develop into a better person.” She still
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Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports Commission • Dallas Sports
eats enchiladas before a meet and tacos after her race, and when she wants a taste of home in Dallas, she heads to Chilangos Tacos or the Bishop Arts District.
Over at the University of Dallas, women’s soccer player Kimberly Esparza carries home in her own way. She was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to parents who immigrated from Chihuahua, Mexico. She fell in love with soccer at 7, watching her brother compete and her father coach. For Kim, heritage starts with her name. “When I wear my last name, I am representing more than just myself,” she said. “I am representing my family, my community, and my heritage.” Today she is the first person in her family to go to college. Her pregame meal is flautas, and Dallas has let her stay connected to her culture. “No matter how far I go, I can always find a little piece of home.”
grew up on Margarita Island, off the coast of Venezuela, in a family of massive Real Madrid fans, and was hooked on soccer by the age of 6. Luis loved music as a child, he played El Cuatro, the four-string instrument behind Venezuelan gaitas and llaneras (music genres), until he set it aside at 11 to chase the beautiful game. Over time, his family decided to make the move from South America to Dallas. “My parents left everything behind in Venezuela to give me a better future,” he said. Much like Miguel Martinez a century earlier, Luis’s family opened their own restaurant, ‘Hello Caribbean,’ one of the first Venezuelan restaurants in DFW. It made it through the pandemic, all while Luis was playing in the FC Dallas Academy. His team won the Dallas Cup in the early 2020’s, where the University of Dallas head coach first saw him play and offered him the opportunity to play at the next level. Luis admits Dallas looks nothing like the tropical home he left. “Where Dallas does feel like home is through our family business and community,” he said. Three athletes from three different backgrounds and a city that made room for them to feel at home. For more stories like these, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and those within our community who make the city diverse and special, visit the link below.
VISIT DALLAS: HECHCOS POR MUCHOS
On the men’s side at UD, Luis Romero traveled the longest road of the three. He
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