Finley Stadium had an operating surplus of $181,372.54 during the 2016-17 fiscal year, the seventh consecutive year that the 20,668-seat home of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team and the Chattanooga Football Club soccer team has finished in the black.
The 2016-17 year included the resignation of Paul Smith and the hiring of Chris Thomas as the stadium’s executive director.
Stadium Corp. board member Ryan Crimmins praised Thomas and his Public Markets Inc. staff for their work, which began on an interim basis in early April and transitioned to full-time status in late June. Crimmins, the treasurer, said in May that breaking even was “possible” for 2016-17.
“If you had told me then that we would wind up here, I would have said you were crazy,” Crimmins said Tuesday.
Chattahooligans cheer during Chattanooga FC’s soccer match against Carolina United FC at Finley Stadium on Saturday, June 24, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
UTC quarterback Alejandro Bennifield looks for an open receiver during UTC’s spring football game day at Finley Stadium on Saturday, April 8, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. This year’s spring game was an open practice followed by a 40 minute scrimmage.The streak of surpluses at Finley began in 2011, when Merrill Eckstein was executive director, and it continued under Smith and now Thomas. Finley had $1,884,870.28 in total income this past fiscal year, with food and beverage ($813,470.91), facility rental ($456,472.72), and contributions and license agreements ($334,914.59) leading the way.