 | |
| Founded | July 12, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Ground | Harder Stadium |
| Capacity | 17,000 |
| Owner | Peter Moore |
| League | USL Championship |
| Website | https://www.santabarbaraskyfc.com/ |
Santa Barbara Sky FC is a planned American professional soccer team based in Santa Barbara, California. First announced in 2022, the team plans to play in USL Championship beginning in March 2026. The team had originally been slated to play in USL League One beginning in 2025.
On July 12, 2022, the United Soccer League announced that Peter Moore had been granted a USL League One expansion team in Santa Barbara, to start play in the 2024 season. [1] [2] Before the 2024 season could kick off, however, the team announced that they would begin play in 2025 instead. [3]
On June 18, 2024, the Sky announced they had signed a multi-year contract to play at Harder Stadium. [4]
On November 13, 2024, the United Soccer League announced that the USL Championship franchise rights held by Memphis 901 FC had been transferred to Santa Barbara Sky FC. The Sky would begin play in the USL Championship in 2026, opting to skip USL League One entirely. [5]
The club's official colors are terracotta and navy blue, representing the "local Spanish-style terracotta rooftops against the backdrop of a deep blue sky." The crest depicts Saint Barbara, the city's namesake.
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Harder Stadium is a 17,000-seat, outdoor multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, California. It serves as the on-campus soccer stadium for both the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's and women's programs and also for Santa Barbara Sky of the USL Championship beginning 2026. Currently used occasionally by the university's club rugby and lacrosse teams, it was originally the home of the defunct football program.
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