USL Partnership Kicks Off Pensacola Soccer Dream

I'm your huckleberry

RIFC_vs_NMU-24 copy - Rick's Blog — Courtesy USL

Imagine cheering on a professional Pensacola soccer team as they compete against the best United Soccer League (USL) teams across North America. What once seemed improbable is now becoming a real possibility for our growing sports community.

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves recently announced an exclusive agreement with the USL to explore bringing men’s and women’s professional soccer teams to downtown. This one-year partnership comes at no cost to taxpayers, with USL investing approximately $200,000 to evaluate our market’s potential.

USL’s Steven Short sees Pensacola as comparable to successful League One markets like Greenville, S.C. and Spokane, Wash. – suggesting our city’s demographics make us an even stronger candidate. The league’s unique promotion and relegation system, recently adopted as the first of its kind in U.S. professional sports, creates exciting possibilities for a Pensacola team to advance to higher divisions based on performance.

Local attorney Justin Witkin, president of Pensacola Futbol Club and owner of four semi-pro teams, hopes to participate in ownership discussions. The estimated $5 million expansion fee represents just one of many hurdles to clear before professional soccer becomes a reality.

THE $33 MILLION QUESTION

The most significant challenge remains finding a suitable location for a 5,000-10,000 seat stadium. Several possibilities exist, including the vacant Pensacola Technology Campus or property near the Florida Power & Light building. Construction costs could reach upward of $33 million in today’s dollars.

While stadium planning continues, temporary playing locations could include Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park, the Pensacola State College soccer complex currently under construction, or even Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Mayor Reeves envisions a multi-use facility hosting soccer, football, concerts and other events to maximize community benefit and return on investment.

Read the full story today on inweekly.net at 11 a.m.

Background: Founded in 1986, the USL is North America’s largest professional soccer organization with multiple competitive tiers for men and women. It recently became the first U.S. league to adopt promotion/relegation, allowing teams to move up or down divisions based on performance. The league actively invests in youth development initiatives. For more info on the league, visit uslsoccer.com.

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Professional Soccer Coming to Pensacola? USL Partnership Explores Possibilities

THE $33 MILLION QUESTION

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