USL eyes Pensacola for Professional Soccer franchise

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Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves announced this morning that the city has entered into an exclusive agreement with the United Soccer League (USL) to explore bringing men’s and women’s professional soccer teams to downtown Pensacola. The announcement marks another significant step in Pensacola’s growth as a destination sports city.

The Details

The agreement, which comes at no cost to taxpayers, gives USL exclusive rights to conduct due diligence on the viability of placing a franchise in Pensacola. USL Senior Vice President for Expansion Steven Short joined Mayor Reeves for the announcement, highlighting the league’s strong interest in the market. [USL will spend about $200K in studies and reports to anlayze this market’s feasability]

“We’re at an exciting time for soccer in the United States, especially North America, as the US prepares to host the 2026 World Cup,” said Short during the press conference. “USL has nearly quadrupled in size since 2012 with over 46 professional teams and 230 amateur teams throughout the country, across 200 markets.”

Why Pensacola?

When asked what attracted USL to Pensacola, Short pointed to the city’s population growth, passionate sports fan base, and positive trajectory. The league has been in conversations with city officials for approximately one year before formalizing this exploratory agreement.

Mayor Reeves, a former sports writer himself, noted that USL’s willingness to invest their own capital in this exploration speaks volumes about how Pensacola is viewed nationally.

“Our ears as a community should perk up when someone says, ‘We’re willing to come spend six figures of money of no obligation to the city whatsoever because we believe in this market,'” said Reeves. “It’s a statement in and of itself and certainly a compliment to our growing community that we’re a city in demand.”

Stadium Possibilities

Both Short and Reeves balked at identifying possible sites for a multi-use stadium, saying that discussions about a potential stadium are in preliminary stages. However, Reeves indicated that any facility would likely be located downtown and designed as a multi-purpose venue.

“The facility would not be one that would only be used the nights per year that the soccer team’s playing,” Reeves explained. “This would have to be something that could be used for football, for festivals, for things like that to be able to have the viability for it to be a successful return for our citizens.”

Typical USL stadiums range from 5,000 to 10,000 capacity, according to Short, though the exact size would depend on Pensacola’s specific needs and potential multiple uses for the facility.

Local Ownership Critical: USL model depends local ownership, something that both Short and Reeves highlighted as essential for long-term success. Reeves noted the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Ice Flyers as examples of how local ownership creates sustainability.

“Whether you own a business or you own a professional sports franchise, there’s no replicating having local stakeholders be invested in the team,” said Reeves. “Quint and Greg are shining examples of the sustainability of teams when you have somebody with boots on the ground.”

Next Steps

Over the next year, USL will work with city officials and community leaders to assess market conditions, potential locations, ownership structures, and facility needs. The timing aligns with ongoing community discussions about long-term facility needs in Pensacola, particularly as the city considers the aging Bay Center’s future.

“This comes at a good time, not to throw one more thing into the gumbo, but I think it’s a good ingredient to throw in to talk about what is a second facility, what’s got the most viability, what’s got the most investment and the best return,” Reeves said.

No timeline was given for when teams might begin play if the exploration proves successful, but the exclusivity agreement provides a structured approach to determining if professional soccer can thrive in Pensacola.

Background: The USL was founded in 1986 and has become the largest professional soccer organization in North America, operating multiple leagues at different levels of competition.

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USL eyes Pensacola for Professional Soccer franchise

The Details

Why Pensacola?

Stadium Possibilities

Next Steps

Rules for Comments

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