Oxford United's new stadium: What capacity, how quick and when? | OneFootball

The opening of Oxford United's new stadium may take a little longer than many hoped

Oxford United have played home games at the Kassam Stadium since the ground opened in 2001, but now the Yellows don't own their ground and are looking to move away.

The club had plans to move out of their current ground in 2026 when their lease agreement expired into a new ground on land known as the Triangle near Kidlington, in North Oxford.

However, the planning process has been delayed, with the planning application proposal report in the "final stages" of completion, and Oxford themselves are set to have the application heard by the Cherwell District Council planning committee on 31 July.

To ensure the club still has a stadium to play in, the current lease on the Kassam Stadium has been extended by at least another year, with an option to extend an extra year depending on whether the planning for the new stadium is completed.

Details on Oxford United's prospective new stadium

Oxford United's new ground is set to be built in Kidlington, North Oxford, which is around 10 miles north of the Kassam Stadium.

The initial proposal stated that the plan was to build a 16,000-capacity eco-friendly stadium on land known as 'The Triangle,' including a 180-bedroom hotel, restaurant, conference centre, health and well-being space, gym and community plaza.

The Kassam Stadium currently holds 12,500 people, so the new ground will not only be a modernised stadium, but also one that improves on the capacity of Oxford's current home.

The initial plans were for Oxford to move to the new ground once the lease at the Kassam Stadium expired in 2026, but that seems not to be the case anymore.

However, with the club only agreeing to a maximum two-year extension on the current ground, with the second year being conditional on the new stadium planning approval, there's clear hope among the higher-ups at Oxford that, once the proposal has been accepted, work can begin swiftly and the Yellows will be playing in their new ground before 2028.

New ground opening is key to Oxford United's existence as a football club

Oxford United fans will be praying for good news come July 31, when their planning application will be heard by the Cherwell District Council planning committee, as it is vital that the club move into a new ground sooner rather than later.

Oxford's chief executive, Tim Williams, said in February that "nothing is more important" than this decision, and "if we don't have a stadium, we don't have a football club. It's appallingly as binary as that".

Jonathon Clarke, the development director at Oxford, has said that the club's main focus now is securing a positive recommendation for the plans, and that the meeting in July is "critical" for maintaining their current timeline.

So, currently, the timeframe for a new stadium opening remains prospective, rather than something set in stone, and on July 31, there will seemingly be more transparency about the new stadium plans.

Oxford has grown exponentially on the field over the past few years, and they'll be hoping that they can continue that growth off the field in the coming years.