The Shrine on Airline lost a major tenant. Officials hope a major renovation will turn things around.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The Shrine on Airline lost its last, remaining tenant this week when Major League Rugby's NOLA Gold, which began playing at the 10,000-seat stadium in 2020, announced that it wouldn't participate in the 2026 season, dealing a blow to a venue that has struggled in recent years.

Still, officials are hopeful that a multi-million dollar renovation, expected to break ground in the coming months, will help breathe new life into the Metairie stadium and attract a slate of new tenants.

"In my opinion, it makes the renovations that much more important," said Jefferson Parish Council member Deano Bonano.

Nearly $30 million in state and local funding has been earmarked for the renovations that will re-orient the stadium, which was built for watching baseball, into one aimed at sports like football and soccer that have a rectangular field.

The stands that currently face the first and third base lines will soon be facing the end zone and sideline of a football field. New stands will be built along the other end zone and sideline in what is currently right and center fields.

The redesign will also include permanent fixtures that will allow the Shrine to more easily host concerts.

"This is going to be a multi-purpose facility that can cater to a lot of different things," said Jefferson Parish Council member Scott Walker.

The Shrine will also host high school football this fall for a third year in a row.

Built in 1997, the Shrine served as a home field for the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs -- later renamed the New Orleans Baby Cakes -- until the baseball team departed for Wichita, Kansas after the 2019 season.

The following year, NOLA Gold, which had been playing its home games at a high school on the West Bank, moved to the Shrine.

The Gold's decision to sit out next year's season came as a "shock," said Bonano, who represents the area of Jefferson Parish where the Shrine is located. "They had never given me any indication."

In June, following the conclusion of their 2025 season, the Gold posted on social media that they had seen a 30% increase in ticket revenue.

"This is a strong indicator of the growing support from our community," the team wrote.

Still, the team had hinted that it may not stay at the Shrine, writing in its post that "our long-term vision for a permanent home for NOLA Gold continues to advance, and we look forward to sharing significant updates soon."

What now?

The renovations at the Shrine are expected to begin by the end of the year and take around a year to complete, Bonano said.

Bonano said they were careful to make sure the construction wouldn't affect the rugby season, which begins in February.

Denton Hunter, NOLA Gold's chief revenue officer, said the team hopes "to have much more to share soon."

The Jefferson Parish Council has set aside $15 million for the renovations, relying on an influx of cash from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, which sent $84 million to the parish to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The state Legislature allocated another $12.5 million in the most recent legislative session for the project.

A spokesperson for the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, which owns the Shrine, did not respond to a list of questions.