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Indy Eleven players during a 2014 fall season league game
Thanks in part to efforts from a grassroots soccer organization known as the Brickyard Battalion, on January 16, 2013, the NASL announced that an Indianapolis expansion team owned by Ersal Ozdemir, CEO of Keystone Group LLC, would join the league in 2014. Ozdemir named Peter Wilt as the team's first president and general manager, after the veteran American soccer executive had served in a consulting role to explore the viability of professional soccer in Indianapolis in the three months leading up to the January 2013 announcement.
The name and club colors were officially revealed to the public on April 25, 2013, during a ceremony held at Indianapolis' Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.[6] The team was named after the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment that served with notoriety in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Colonel Lew Wallace commanded the regiment, which was mustered on April 25, 1861. The team name reflects both the culture of the game and pays homage to the history of the state.[7] The number also is an obvious reference to the number of players on the field when at full strength. The number eleven is also important to the world-renowned Indianapolis 500, with the race traditionally featuring eleven rows of cars and drivers and the first race being held in 1911.
Indy Eleven named former Indiana University standout and U.S. international, English Premier League, and Major League Soccer (MLS) veteran Juergen Sommer as its first head coach/director of soccer operations on June 11, 2013. On October 1, 2013, the team announced Kristian Nicht as their first signing.[8]
Even though the team did not begin play until the spring 2014 season, the team announced in November 2013 that it had already sold over 7,000 season tickets, and in capping season ticket sales, became the first team in NASL history to have a wait list for season tickets.[9][10]
The team made its NASL regular-season debut on April 12, 2014, in a 1–1 draw against the Carolina Railhawks at home in front of 11,048 fans at Carroll Stadium.[11]
On June 2, 2015, Sommer was fired as manager, with Tim Regan taking over in an interim capacity.[12] Regan's interim role ended on December 2 with Tim Hankinson being appointed as the club's manager.[13]
Indy Eleven won the 2016 Spring Championship after an undefeated season. The team, in a game called "The Miracle at the Mike," overturned a three-goal tiebreaker deficit to secure its first title.[14]
On January 31, 2017, the Eleven announced that they would seek to join Major League Soccer during the league's expansion efforts for teams to join by 2020.[15] The Eleven were passed over in the initial 2017 bidding.
On November 28, 2017, the Eleven announced that Tim Hankinson would not be returning as manager for the 2018 season.[16]
On January 10, 2018, the Eleven announced they had left the NASL and joined the United Soccer League for the 2018 season.[17]Martin Rennie was then named as the Eleven's new head coach on January 16.[18]
Historical chart of Indy Eleven's regular season performance within the American soccer pyramid
On March 27, 2020, The Shop Indy teamed up with Indy Eleven to start selling t-shirts with "Indy Eleven Cares" on it in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds from the t-shirt sells would go to the Community Health Network Foundation's Lisa Borinstein Caregiver Assistance Fund to help employees and caregivers pay for medical expenses, transportation, food, and more.[19][20]
On June 16, 2021, Indy Eleven and Rennie mutually agreed to part ways after four seasons. Rennie managed 99 matches and was the longest tenured coach in Indy Eleven history.[21]
On November 16, 2021, Indy Eleven named Mark Lowry as the team's new head coach and fourth in club history.[22]
On November 28, 2023, Indy Eleven announced the departure of Lowry after two seasons. Lowry led the Eleven to an overall regular season record of 25–28–15 and their first USL Championship playoff appearance since 2019.[23]
On January 8, 2024, the club named former Minnesota United interim manager Sean McAuley as head coach, the fifth in club history.[24]
Major League Soccer
Indianapolis became the 12th team to apply for one of four available expansion spots in MLS, submitting their application just before the January 31, 2017, deadline.[25] However, on November 29, 2017, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced the four finalist cities for the round of expansion and Indianapolis was not among them. Subsequently, Indy Eleven released a statement claiming, "We are planning on being a finalist for the next round of MLS expansion opportunities."[26] Despite Indy Eleven's persistence to establish a stadium deal with the city and a location for the venue, other cities surpassed their efforts and were awarded franchises. This included Cincinnati, Nashville, Sacramento, St. Louis, and Charlotte, along with a new team in Austin.[27]
Greg Stremlaw reiterated after Charlotte was accepted to MLS in December 2019, as the league's 30th team, that Indy Eleven is still committed to their bid and believes further expansion will occur. Stremlaw stated, "I think we have a very strong application" and claimed that the ownership group and the bid will stick to the process that they have followed throughout the expansion talks.[28]
Indy Eleven Women
On September 24, 2021, Indy Eleven announced the fielding of a team in the amateur USL W League as part of the league's inaugural season in 2022. The team was the 17th team to be announced for the amateur women's league.[29] The team hosted the league's first-ever match, defeating Kings Hammer FC 3–1.[30] Indy Eleven won the Great Lakes Division in an undefeated 10–0–2 season and advanced to the playoffs, where they fell to eventual finalists Minnesota Aurora FC 2–1 in the quarter-finals.[31]
On May 16, 2023, Indy Eleven announced that they had also acquired a franchise in the forthcoming professional USL Super League.[32]
In the 2023 USL W League season, Indy Eleven won the USL W League's Valley division on head-to-head tiebreaker against Racing Louisville FC, then won the Central Conference championship over Minnesota Aurora FC.[33] The campaign included a league-record 16–0 victory against St. Charles FC to clinch the division, avenging Indy Eleven's only loss during the season.[34] Indy then advanced to its first national championship finals match on a 91st-minute stoppage-time goal by Alia Martin to defeat the San Francisco Glens 3–2 in the national semi-finals.[35] Indy Eleven defeated the North Carolina Courage U23 2–1 to earn their first USL W League Championship.[36]
Following the confirmation on February 9, 2024, that the USL Super League would receive Division One Sanctioning from the U.S. Soccer Federation ahead of the inaugural 2024–25 Super League season, the team announced the Indianapolis franchise would begin play following the completion of Eleven Park Stadium in 2025.[37]
^1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only. ^2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league, league playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
Colors and crest
The name "Eleven" references the eleven men who take to the field representing Indiana and also pays homage to Indiana's 11th Regiment Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War, while the navy colored checkered background is a nod to both Indianapolis' auto-racing culture and the Brickyard Battalion supporters group. Lady Victory from the Soldiers' and Sailors' monument is the focal point of the crest. The color scheme is the same as that of the civic flag of Indianapolis.[40]
Kits
Predominantly red, white, and blue, the jerseys unveiled on October 1, 2013,[41] also featured a sublimated checker board pattern paying homage to Indianapolis' rich auto racing heritage centered around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The jerseys were manufactured by Diadora[42] and Honda was the primary sponsor.
The jerseys used from 2017 to 2020 were manufactured by Adidas with Honda remaining the sponsor. In 2021, USL entered into an agreement with sports apparel manufacturer Puma as the leagues official apparel partner.[43] As part of this move, several teams including Indy Eleven changed to Puma as their kit manufacturer.
On January 1, 2024, the team announced that Under Armour would serve as their official kit provider beginning in the 2024 season.[44] The club announced a sponsorship deal with Ford on January 16, 2024, that includes the auto company serving as the front shirt sponsor beginning in the 2024 season.[45] The sponsorship replaces Honda, who were the team's primary sponsor from their first jersey unveiling in 2013.
The primary supporters group for the Indy Eleven is the Brickyard Battalion, established on August 3, 2011.[46] The supporters group has its origins in a grassroots campaign to elicit local support for bringing professional soccer to Indianapolis. Membership consists of more than 2,000 supporters, with over 4,000 officially registered supporters throughout the state of Indiana;[47] affiliate chapters in the greater Indianapolis area and beyond include, but are not limited to: Slaughterhouse-19 BYB, Battery 37 BYB and Cologne – Germany BYB (an affiliate chapter based in Cologne, Germany).[48]
Indy Eleven first played against Louisville City FC in the third round of the 2015 U.S. Open Cup, a game Louisville City won, 2–0. The two clubs met again in a series of friendlies the following two seasons, as well as the third round of the 2016 U.S. Open Cup, where Indy defeated Louisville by a score of 2–1. The arrival of the Eleven to the United Soccer League in 2018 resulted in the two becoming divisional rivals, and was given the unusual title of "Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest", or "LIPAFC" during the season by both clubs on social media.
In early 2014, Indy Eleven sought to build a new $87 million stadium with a capacity of 18,500 seats, but were not able to build the political support to finance their plan.[10] On January 13, 2015, House Bill 1273 was submitted to the Indiana General Assembly, proposing to pay for the stadium by expanding ticket taxes through 2045 instead of ending in 2023 at a projected $5 million per year, but the bill failed to pass.[49]
In 2018, the club announced that they would play their home matches at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. IU Carroll Stadium continued to be used as a secondary venue for if the home matches needed to be moved due to scheduling conflicts at Lucas Oil Stadium.[50]
In 2019, the club announced a plan to build Eleven Park, a new $550 million mixed-use development, with a new stadium with a capacity of 20,000 as the centerpiece. This site is planned to include 600 apartments, 150,000 square feet (14,000m2) of office space, 100,000 square feet (9,300m2) of retail space, and a 200-room hotel. Ersal Ozdemir stated that is "the opportunity to create a vibrant community that will attract individuals and families from near and far to live, work and play". The club is proposing to fund $400 million for the project, with the remaining $150 million being financed through a public-private partnership.[51] In February 2019, the Indy Eleven ownership asked lawmakers to fund $150 million of a soccer-specific stadium in the city.[52]
On April 8, 2019, the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously voted to allow Indy Eleven to negotiate a stadium regardless of whether the team is accepted into the MLS or not.[53] This subsequently passed through the Senate and Governor Eric Holcomb approved plans to build the stadium.[54]
On January 31, 2020, it was reported that the stadium's capacity might be adjusted downward from the original 20,000 to 12,000. Greg Stremlaw noted that the stadium will not be smaller than 12,000 seats and "will be built to ensure we can properly accommodate the fan base associated with leading the USL Championship league, but also be able to expand to all MLS specifications if and as needed".[55] On February 3, 2021, the club stated it would return to Carroll Stadium starting with the 2021 season while the new stadium is constructed.[5]
The club announced on June 24, 2022, that it had acquired 20 acres (8.1ha) of land bounded by Kentucky Avenue, West Street, and the White River and will construct a 20,000 seat multi-purpose stadium starting in spring 2023 and opening in spring 2025. The complex will include apartments, offices, retail, and a hotel, and is projected to cost $1 billion. The site in southwest downtown Indianapolis was formerly the location of the Diamond Chain company and was acquired by Ozdemir's Keystone Group, which will handle development of the complex. Upon completion, the stadium itself will be owned by the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board.[56][57]
Peter Wilt is a soccer executive who was the first president and general manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. He led an effort to expand the MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and maintains strong connections to the sport of soccer in the Midwest, especially Chicago. Wilt is most known for his work with the Chicago Fire, where he gained a reputation for being a fan-friendly businessman in the soccer world.
North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 2006, the team previously was named the Carolina Railhawks.
Siniša Ubiparipović is a Bosnian-American former professional soccer player.
Sports in Indianapolis include major league franchises, collegiate athletics, and a variety of other club and individual sporting events that have taken place in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Indianapolis is the home to 11 professional sports teams. The city is also home to three National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate teams. Two teams from the four major American leagues, the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers, are located in Indianapolis.
Matthew Watson is an English former professional footballer who is an assistant coach for New Mexico United in the USL Championship.
Gregory Janicki is an American former professional soccer player who last played for Detroit City FC in the NPSL.
Martin Rennie is a Scottish football coach, who was most recently the manager of Scottish League One side Falkirk.
Brad Ring is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder for Indy Eleven and San Jose Earthquakes.
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began play in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation as a Division II league since 2017, placing it under Major League Soccer in the hierarchy. The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league based in the United States. The league was named for, but had no connection to, the original North American Soccer League. The later NASL was founded in 2009, and began play in 2011 with eight teams.
Karl William Ouimette is a Canadian former professional soccer player who played as a defender.
The 2014 Indy Eleven season was the club's inaugural season of existence. The club played in North American Soccer League, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The expansion of the National Women's Soccer League began with the league's sophomore season in 2014, when the league expanded to a ninth team in Houston, and is an ongoing process that currently has seen five expansions, three direct or indirect relocations, and one contraction. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was established as the top level of professional women's soccer in the United States in 2013 in the wake of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association and Women's Professional Soccer.
Dylan Mares is an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Louisville City in the USL Championship.
Louisville City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Louisville, Kentucky. The team plays in the USL Championship, known through the 2018 season as the United Soccer League (USL), which is currently the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
Timothy Milledge Hankinson was an American soccer coach. He initially coached American college teams, before becoming head coach in Major League Soccer, as well as managing teams in Iceland, India, and Jamaica.
The 2016 North American Soccer League season is the 49th season of Division II soccer in the United States and Canada, and the 6th season of the modern North American Soccer League.
The 2018 USL season was the eighth season of the United Soccer League and second under Division II sanctioning. The previous season, the USL had provisional Div. II sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation along with the North American Soccer League, but was given full sanctioning for the 2018 season with a two-year deadline to meet the full requirements set by U.S. Soccer.
Eleven Park is a soccer-specific stadium currently under construction on the site of the former Diamond Chain Company facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It will be the home of Indy Eleven, a professional soccer team that plays in the USL Championship. The stadium will additionally house the team's women's team, who currently play in the USL W League and are anticipated to join the USL Super League at a later date.
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