Stremlaw Honored with USL Championship Leadership Award
February 6, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Indy Eleven News Release
TAMPA, Florida - Indy Eleven President & CEO Greg Stremlaw was selected as the USL Championship Leadership Award recipient and President of the Year Friday.
The 2023 season was a banner year for the franchise, with notable accomplishments from the USL Championship squad, W League team and Academy Programs, as well as significant business operations achievements that will pave the way for the future of Indy Eleven.
"Greg has been the driving force for the growth and success of Indy Eleven as a club in 2023. His leadership and vision to manage the entire Club is what is so impressive," said USL Championship President Jeremy Alumbaugh. "Breaking ground on Eleven Park, capturing the W League Championship, winning USL Academy titles and securing a long-term management project at Grand Park which will see the development of a first-class training facility are all unprecedented accomplishments. You add that to the fact the Club returned to the USL Championship Playoffs and 2023 was quite simply remarkable. There is a clear vision of what the club is looking to achieve, and Greg is leading the organization in a preeminent manner across our League."
As President & CEO, Stremlaw was instrumental in orchestrating front office efforts to help support the on-field performance of all Indy Eleven's programs, while also spearheading numerous club acquisitions and development projects.
"I am extremely honored and humbled to be selected for this award given the exceptional leadership across the USL Championship," Stremlaw said. "This award is a true testament to the Indy Eleven organization as a whole, and the desire to operate as a best-in-class organization on and off the field. We strive to give our fans, players and staff a world-class experience and are doing so by continuing to grow the game in the State of Indiana and beyond. The 2023 season was a very exciting one for Indy Eleven, and we look forward to more success in 2024."
Indy's 2023 USL Championship squad made its return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2019 season, posting a franchise-record eight road wins during the campaign. The Boys in Blue also had their first pair of all-league selections since the 2020 season.
The on and off the field accolades poured in for the Girls in Blue, who were crowned USL W League Champions in front of a record-setting home crowd in July. The playoff appearance was the second in as many seasons for the club. Indy went 12-1-1 in 2023, won the USL's Valley Division and picked up numerous individual accolades, including USL W League Final MVP and Divisional Player of the Year.
Indy Eleven was also selected among the 65-team league as the USL W League Organization of the Year, which recognizes the overall professionalism of the organization and its front office, highlighting its operational excellence and experience for fans by the club's players, coaches, support staff and leadership.
Stremlaw was previously named the W League Executive of the Year following the 2022 season.
In an effort to continue to grow the game in Indiana, the 2023 season saw Indy Eleven announce the acquisition of a USL Super League franchise and the launch of top-tier Professional Academies for boys and girls.
Indy Eleven is set to join the USL Super League following the completion of Eleven Park Stadium. The league initially kicks off in 2024 and features Indy as a pioneering member. This first-division league offers a new pathway from youth to professional soccer, playing on the international calendar, "fall-to-summer", to best provide the league's players, coaches, referees, and front office employees with the best opportunities to succeed at the highest level.
The launch of Indy Eleven's first ever Professional Academies starting July 1, has Indy Eleven boys' and girls' youth programs competing alongside the nation's top competition as part of MLS Next and the ECNL, respectively, as the Indy Eleven Pro Academy. During the 2023 season, Indy Eleven took home the U15 and U19 Academy Cup Championships.
Off the field, the club officially broke ground in May on Eleven Park, a transformational riverfront neighborhood development anchored by a 20,000 seat, multi-purpose soccer stadium, the future and permanent home to Indy Eleven. The Eleven Park development is also set to include more than 600 apartments, 205,000 square feet of office space, 197,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants, hotels, public plazas and green space, parking, and more.
In December, the city of Westfield announced a transformative long-term collaboration with multiple partners, which was headlined by Indy Eleven and Bullpen Ventures, solidifying a landmark public-private partnership of Grand Park, America's leading youth sports campus and home to the official training center of Indy Eleven and W League gamedays. Under the partnership, Grand Park is poised for an evolution that includes the creation of a dynamic sports and entertainment district. Plans call for a curated mix of restaurants, hotels, public spaces, a vibrant mixed-use complex encompassing residential, office, and retail spaces, and a state-of-the-art sports facility - with the Keystone Group as the official developer.
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