Cowboys Offer Inside Look At 'The Star' In Frisco
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FRISCO (CBSDFW.COM) - The Dallas Cowboys are sitting on top of the NFL standings with the league's best record. Now, the professional football organization is also offering a unique experience for fans, giving them a chance to get a closer look at the daily operations of America's Team.
"We want to win games and we want to win Super Bowls, and we want to bring an experience to people like no other along the way -- and I think this is a great expression of that," stated Charlotte Jones Anderson, executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Cowboys.
The team is putting fan experience first at The Star in Frisco. The newly opened 91-acre campus is now home to the Cowboys world headquarters and their practice facilities. When people visit The Star for the first time, Anderson explained, the reaction is "what I had hoped -- it's wow!"
Anderson has been the driving force behind the massive billion-dollar project. "You do things at that scale and on that level so that everyone has pride in what it means," Anderson said, "what it means to them, what it means to the city, what it means to the perception of the area."
Football operations are located on the west side of The Ford Center, the 12,000 seat arena used for Cowboys practice. But that stadium is also a playing field for North Texas high school football players. "We have done something that has really just never been done before, in terms of the link to high school football," Anderson said. "You do that because that is your future!"
The Star was built with families in mind, and convenience. It is meant to be a place for fans of all ages to feel connected to the team that they love. Part of that will include The Cowboy Club, where members can eat, watch the Cowboys practice and soak in the atmosphere. The Cowboy Club opens in December.
But there is one area of The Star that, Anderson said, really embodies the team's beliefs. It's a hall filled with awards, trophies and rings from the franchise's impressive NFL history. "I love this space," Anderson added. "It speaks to tradition. It speaks to the competition and achievement."
Anderson may also like the space because she designed the team's Super Bowl rings. "When you have a directive from Michael Irvin, who says just make sure it looks like headlights, the sky's the limit," she said. And that boundless philosophy is what has the Cowboys and The Star shining bright.
