FC Tulsa Sign Midfielder Bailey Sparks to Its 2026 USL Championship Roster
USL FC Tulsa

FC Tulsa Sign Midfielder Bailey Sparks to Its 2026 USL Championship Roster

Published on January 28, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Tulsa News Release


FC Tulsa announced today the signing of midfielder Bailey Sparks ahead of the 2026 USL Championship season, pending league and federation approval.

"We are delighted to welcome Bailey to FC Tulsa," said Caleb Sewell, FC Tulsa Sporting Director and General Manager. "Bailey is a bright young prospect and an extremely versatile player with very good technical ability who covers a lot of ground, which suits us well. We look forward to Bailey helping us achieve our goals this season."

Sparks, 22, was drafted by Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF in the second round (52nd overall pick) of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. While he didn't register any First Team minutes, the midfielder made 18 appearances, 16 starts, and tallied a goal and a pair of assists for Miami's MLS NEXT Pro outfit, Inter Miami CF II. Sparks excelled at distribution, maintaining an 88% passing accuracy throughout his 2025 campaign.

Before Inter Miami CF II, Sparks attended Southern Methodist University, where he featured for the Mustangs from 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, the Plano, Texas native made 72 appearances for SMU, starting 63 times, and contributed 14 goals and 18 assists. Sparks was named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, earned First Team All-ACC honors, and finished the year ranked as the No. 12 player in the country by Top Drawer Soccer following his senior year campaign.

Sparks joined Sporting Kansas City's academy in July 2020 through the end of July the following year. That year-long stint saw Sparks tally eight USL Championship appearances during brief loan spells with Sporting KC II, with the then-16-year-old scoring the game-winning goal in stoppage time in his debut at Indy Eleven on September 30, 2020.

FC Tulsa 2026 Roster (as of January 28, 2026):

Goalkeepers (2): Johan Peñaranda, Alex Tambakis

Defenders (6): Delentz Pierre, Harvey St. Clair, Lamar Batista, Lucas Stauffer, Owen Damm, Ian Carlos Souza Daniel

Midfielders (9): Boubacar Diallo, Giordano Colli, Jamie Webber, Kalil ElMedkhar, Marcos Cerato, Raheem Somersall, Stefan Lukić, Bruno Lapa, Bailey Sparks

Forwards (1): Taylor Calheira

FC Tulsa will kick off the 2026 USL Championship season on the road at Sacramento Republic FC on March 7 before returning to ONEOK Field the following week. Fans can secure their spots early to FC Tulsa's Home Opener on March 14, 2026, against San Antonio FC with a 2026 Season Ticket Membership, which are available now at www.fctulsa.com/tickets or by calling 918-727-2231.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from January 28, 2026


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