 | |
| Founded | November 21, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Stadium | TBD |
| Capacity | TBD |
| Owners | Michael Murphy Nolan Gallagher |
| League | MLS Next Pro |
| Website | Club website |
Cleveland Pro Soccer is the ownership group co-founded by Michael Murphy and Nolan Gallagher, based in Cleveland, Ohio. The group owns an independent men's professional soccer team that plans to participate in MLS NEXT Pro. The group is also presenting a bid in 2024 for the 16th expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Gallagher and Murphy, who met as classmates at Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood’s historic St. Ignatius High School, founded Gravitas Ventures in 2006 in Los Angeles. [1] Under their leadership, Gravitas became a global-rights theatrical film distribution company, releasing more than 3,000 video-on-demand (VOD) films and winning awards and notice from industry organizations like the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and numerous film festivals. In 2019 they moved the firm to Cleveland to “…further economic momentum for media and entertainment in their hometown.” [2] In 2021, they sold Gravitas to Anthem Sports & Entertainment Co., a multi-platform media conglomerate from Toronto, for $73 million. [3]
In 2022, they co-founded Cleveland Professional Soccer with Murphy as CEO, and Gallagher, president of the sports team ownership group.
On March 31, 2023, Gallagher stepped down as Gravitas CEO to focus on the soccer team. [4] [5]
In an interview with Front Office Sports, Gallagher said the idea of bringing professional outdoor soccer to Cleveland came up in 2021, when he and Murphy recognized that Cleveland was the only top-20 market without professional outdoor soccer teams. [6]
On November 21, 2022, MLS Next Pro announced that a new independent club, Cleveland Pro Soccer, in Cleveland would join the league as early as 2025. [7] [8] [9] [10] In April 2024, Cleveland Scene's Vince Grzegorek reported that the MLS Next Pro team's debut would likely be delayed (from 2025) as the ownership group finalized plans for a soccer-specific stadium in Cleveland. [11]
The team's name, colors and crest will be revealed at a later date. A stadium announcement, including location and seating capacity, is expected in 2024. [12]
Cleveland Pro Soccer presented a bid for the 15th NWSL expansion team. [13] Cleveland was among four finalist teams, including Boston, San Francisco and Tampa. [14] The expansion team was eventually granted to NWSL Boston in December 2022. [15]
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman announced in November 2023 that the league would add a 16th team by 2026. [16]
In October 2023, Cleveland Pro Soccer announced the group was preparing to present a bid for the 16th NWSL expansion team. The team would be the first and only professional women's soccer team in the state of Ohio. Cleveland’s potential as a home for both a MLS (Next) and NWSL team is enhanced by its unique sports profile. Like three of the other NWSL cities (Louisville, San Diego and Cary, NC), Cleveland does not have an MLS team; the closest team is the Columbus Crew, two hours away. Additionally Cleveland has the smallest population of any city with an MLB (Guardians), NFL (Browns) and NBA (Cavaliers) franchise. Cleveland sports fans have proven their passion for their teams; clearly a void exists for soccer. The success of the record-setting 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Cleveland demonstrated the growing popularity of women’s sports. Gallagher and Murphy report that – with no team, no logo, no name and no stadium – they already have 13,000 pledges to purchase season tickets, demonstrating potential support for a team. [17]
In an interview with Front Office Sports, co-founders Gallagher and Murphy said a stadium plan would be important for attracting an NWSL team to the city. [18] In February 2024, the Ohio House of Representatives earmarked funding for "Cleveland Women's Soccer Stadium". [19]
Gallagher and Murphy are seeking $90 million in government investment from city, county and state sources via admission tax and public revenue bonds, to build a new stadium, seating 13,000, in downtown Cleveland. They propose investing $193 million on their own for the stadium, practice facilities and on both the NWSL and MLS Next teams. The stadium would also host high school and college events as well as act as a concert venue on as many as 60 occasions/year. The structure will be the first public/private stadium in the US that focuses on women’s sports, according to Murphy. [20]
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the United States, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs most colleges; secondary schools are governed by state-level associations, with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) setting the rules at that level. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences.
The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is an amateur women's soccer league in the United States.
Starfire Sports is a multi-purpose stadium and sporting facility in Tukwila, Washington, United States. It is located on the banks of the Green River, just south of Seattle. The stadium is operated by the nonprofit corporation Starfire Sports and is home to several soccer and rugby teams. At the time of its opening, CEO Chris Slatt claimed it was "the largest synthetic-turf soccer complex in the U.S."
The Seattle metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States is home to several professional and amateur sports teams. They include seven teams in major leagues, several in minor leagues, and collegiate programs for two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I universities and one NCAA Division II university.
The Canadian soccer league system, also called the Canadian soccer pyramid, is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in Canada. The governing body of soccer in the country is the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), which oversees the system and domestic cups but does not operate any of its component leagues. In addition, some Canadian teams compete in leagues that are based in the United States.
Henry Merritt Paulson III is an American businessman who is the minority owner of Peregrine Sports, LLC, which owns the operating rights to the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team. He and his company also founded and formerly owned Portland Thorns FC, a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team; both clubs are based in Portland, Oregon.
Snapdragon Stadium is an outdoor stadium in San Diego, California, located on the campus of San Diego State University at SDSU Mission Valley. The stadium is home of the San Diego State Aztecs football team. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW).
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.
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.
Professional sports leagues in the United States includes major professional sports leagues, other highest-level professional leagues, and minor leagues.
The North Carolina Courage is a professional women's soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. It was founded on January 9, 2017, after Stephen Malik acquired National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchise rights from the Western New York Flash. The Courage plays its home games at the WakeMed Soccer Park.
USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championship and other leagues. As of 2024, the league has 12 teams who play 22 regular season games, followed by playoffs. All teams also participate in the USL Cup, adding an additional eight games, followed by knockout rounds.
Stephen Malik is a Welsh-American businessman and sports owner who owns and is chairman of North Carolina FC of United Soccer League and North Carolina Courage of National Women's Soccer League. He also founded and was executive chairman of medical technology company Medfusion, and was a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors from March 2017 to March 2019 and February 2020 to February 2021.
Austin FC is an American professional men's soccer club based in Austin, Texas. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 2018, the club began play in the 2021 season. Their home stadium is Q2 Stadium in north Austin. They are the first major professional sports league team to play in Texas' capital, which prior to 2021 was the largest city in the United States without such a team.
MLS Next Pro (MLSNP) is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and now comprises 27 reserve sides of MLS clubs and 2 independent clubs. MLS Next Pro is classified as part of the third tier of the United States soccer league system.
The USL Super League (USLS) is a future Division I professional women's soccer league in the United States. The league will be owned and operated by the United Soccer League. Originally planned to launch in August 2023, it is now slated to begin play in August 2024.
San Diego FC is an American professional soccer club based in San Diego, California, scheduled to enter Major League Soccer (MLS) as an expansion team in 2025. The team will play home matches at Snapdragon Stadium, a multi-use venue built in 2022.
Bay Football Club is an American professional women's soccer team based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. They began play in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) as an expansion team in the 2024 season. Their home stadium is PayPal Park in San Jose, California, a soccer-specific stadium with 18,000 seats that is also home to the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS).