USL United Soccer League Championship

USL 2016 Kickoff Weekend: March 25-26

March 18, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - One year after a season of rapid growth, the United Soccer League (USL) enters the 2016 season with an additional six teams, a new soccer specific stadium scheduled to debut and increased investment from proven sports team ownership as the league continues its ascent.

The league, which opens its campaign March 25-26 with 13 matches, enters the 2016 season with 29 teams in 19 American states and three Canadian provinces, making it the largest professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and the world.

The league has more than doubled in size since 2013, as 2016 marks the introduction of six teams:

Bethlehem Steel FC - Dating back to 1907, the original Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club was a team that many considered America's first great soccer team with five U.S. Open Cup victories. Now, under the ownership of Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, the name of the historic club that remains tied for the most U.S. Open Cup titles in the tournament's 102-year history, will return to action as it competes at Goodman Stadium in the Lehigh Valley this year.

FC Cincinnati - With an ownership group of local investors led by Cincinnati businessman and philanthropist Carl Lindner III - formerly the owner of Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds - FC Cincinnati has partnered with the University of Cincinnati to play in the school's recently renovated Nippert Stadium. The team will be led on the field by U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame member John Harkes, who was named as the club's first head coach.

Orlando City B - Owned by one of the USL's early standard-bearers, Orlando City B, or OCB, will aim to maintain the club's outstanding history in the league at Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) in Melbourne, Fla. After earning two league championships and three regular-season titles from 2011-14, Orlando City SC made the move to MLS in 2015, and will be led by Head Coach Anthony Pulis, who played as a midfielder for the Lions in the USL.

Rio Grande Valley FC - Owned by Alonzo Cantu, owner of the NBA Developmental League Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Toros will serve as the hybrid affiliate of Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo. The club is currently constructing a 10,000-seat stadium in the heart of Edinburg, Texas. One of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S., the Rio Grande Valley is a four-county region located in the southernmost tip of South Texas that has a population surpassing 1.3 million.

San Antonio FC - Owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment, San Antonio FC plays its home games at Toyota Field, a soccer-specific stadium built in 2013 with seating capacity for 8,500. The natural grass stadium is designed to be expandable to over 18,000 seats. Toyota Field is adjacent to the STAR (South Texas Area Regional) Soccer Complex, a 13-field soccer venue.

Swope Park Rangers - With a name that originated with Sporting Kansas City's reserve team in 2008 and became popular among fans in the years that followed, Sporting Kansas City's new USL club will join the USL this season as the Children's Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village serves as its home field. The nine-field, $20-plus million complex also hosts reigning National Women's Soccer League champion FC Kansas City.

The USL will welcome Reno 1868 FC, based in Reno, Nevada, in 2017.

The USL's 29 clubs include 11 teams owned and operated by MLS teams while nine USL clubs have affiliate relationships with MLS teams.

"The USL continues to be a vital part of soccer in the United States, on and off the field," said Alec Papadakis, the USL's Chief Executive Officer. "The USL offers the highest level of competition outside of MLS on a national footprint with strong ownership groups in major markets positioned for long-term success."

In addition to new teams, the USL is welcoming new ownership for two of its oldest clubs - the Charleston Battery and Rochester Rhinos.

The Battery were purchased in January by Eric Bowman of B Sports Entertainment (BSE), a locally owned and privately held company.

Renovation of the offices at MUSC Health Stadium on Daniel Island started in January as well as a new Interstate 526 electronic message board, a major overhaul of the stadium's audio system is on schedule to be in place before the start of the regular season on March 26, and an upgrade to digital infrastructure will provide free, Gigabit high-speed wireless Internet to users throughout the complex by this summer. The most notable improvement at the stadium will be the installation of the second-largest video board in South Carolina on the South Concourse. With a viewable area of almost 3,000 square feet and state-of-the-art control and resolution, the 90-by-32-foot screen will be a game-changer for the club.

Ownership of the Rochester Rhinos was purchased by local real estate developers David and Wendy Dworkin in March. Mr. and Mrs. Dworkin have also secured a 10-year lease agreement for Rhinos Stadium, with more than $1 million-worth of renovations to the venue already being put into place ahead of the 2016 USL season. The Managing Partner of LLD Enterprises and a partner in JADD Management, David Dworkin is also a minority owner in the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

Among the new amenities for fans at Rhinos Stadium in 2016 will be a new high-definition video board, increased parking capacity and stadium staffing, upgraded concession stands and the availability of premium food and drink within Rhinos Stadium. The exclusive Golden Rhino Club and new field-side seating areas are also being added to the stadium's amenities, which will give fans the chance to get a front-row seat to all of the action. The Rhinos will also have a new, state-of-the-art Revolution360 playing surface that is currently being installed ahead of the club's home opener on Saturday, April 23 against FC Montreal.

Arizona United SC, meanwhile, has brought star-power to its investment group through Grammy winner Diplo, as the USL continues to see strong local ownership groups buy into its model of a national league with a regional focus.

Twenty-five of the USL's 26 American teams are situated within the Nielsen Top 90 TV Market Universe with four teams in the Top 10, 12 teams in the Top 25 and 19 teams in the Top 50 markets across the country. The USL's three Canadian teams are in that country's Top 3 television markets.

In partnership with YouTube, all USL matches are broadcast live and in HD exclusively on the USL's YouTube Sports channel. The accessibility of live video showcases the league and its players, coaches, and fans, while connecting its clubs and partners to a global audience, and present them with opportunities to reach additional fans from throughout North America and the world.

The USL fan skews young (64% between ages of 18-44) and male (79%), comparable with MLS fans and the general population; a high proportion of them are college educated (91%), employed (87%) and with a high annual income (42% have household income of at least $100K). USL fans are passionate about the game of soccer with a high number being current and former players with a strong interest in various soccer leagues. USL fans are highly engaged with the league with more than three-quarters attending at least two games in 2015, while 45% are season ticket holders. The USL fan is tech savvy with more than one-third consuming USL-related news via digital and social platforms on a regular basis.

"The future of soccer is bright in the United States and the USL is well positioned to capitalize on the opportunity," said USL President Jake Edwards. "We are excited about the upcoming season, our new clubs and the proven, local ownership that has invested in our league."

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