LANCASTER, Calif. and TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 4, 2023 - The City of Lancaster, CA (Lancaster), the United Soccer League (USL), and Antelope Valley Soccer, Inc. (USL Antelope Valley) today announced plans to bring men's professional and women's pre-professional soccer to the Antelope Valley (AV). The teams will play in the Lancaster Municipal Stadium, which will be converted from its minor league baseball configuration to a 5,300 seat, soccer-specific stadium. This unique, public-private partnership will bring professional soccer to the Antelope Valley to be played in only the fourth professional soccer-specific stadium in Southern California.
[All quotes below]
USL Antelope Valley is led by its Founder and President, John Smelzer. Smelzer is a sports industry veteran, having held legal and commercial roles with World Cup USA 1994, the NFL, NBC Olympics, and FOX Sports. Through his passion for the Beautiful Game, Smelzer has brought together an impressive group of local stakeholders and supporters that share his love of soccer and community.
The Antelope Valley region is located in north Los Angeles County, anchored by the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. Combined with the surrounding municipalities, the Antelope Valley has a diverse and growing population of more than 500,000. Already a leader in aerospace, the AV hosts a burgeoning green tech industry and is the future home of the Mojave Inland Port and high-speed rail lines connecting to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Poised for growth, the AV is an untapped soccer hotbed of both players and fans alike.
Now in its 13th season, the United Soccer League (USL) has grown into a globally respected organization that is shaping the future of soccer in America as the first to build complete youth-to-pro pathways for men and women in one ecosystem.
Now with 12 teams, USL League One is in the final month of its fifth regular season as a USSF-sanctioned third-division professional league and expects to double in size over the next few years. The USL's emphasis on soccer-specific stadiums, youth academies and talent-development systems is raising the quality of League One on and off the field every year.
The USL W League is the nation's premier pre-professional league, developing the next generation of women's talent both on and off the field, and enhancing the women's soccer pipeline between college and professional soccer. With over 65 teams and a national footprint, the USL W League brings elite women's soccer to communities across the U.S., creating more opportunities to play, watch, and work in the women's game.
The club will offer affordable ticket plans as well as new club seats and existing suites. Lancaster Municipal Stadium will feature a traditional, standing-only "supporters' section" behind the north goal, the future home of the club's most fervent fans, "The 661." When completed in 2025, the renovated stadium will be one of the best in USL League One, and only the fourth professional soccer-specific stadium in Southern California.
In the coming months, USL Antelope Valley will be hosting listening sessions with its growing group of supporters, hearing firsthand what the community wants and expects from the club - from values to branding to community service - and everything in between. The club hopes to unveil its official name, colors, and crest in March 2024, and aims to kick off in 2025.
QUOTES:
USL Antelope Valley Founder and President John Smelzer
"Over the past several months, we've spent hundreds of hours in the community meeting face-to-face with our supporters – fans, players, coaches, parents, teachers and community leaders of all types. This is a diverse community, both demographically and geographically. We are united by our love of the game and our shared commitment to create opportunity for our kids and civic pride for our community. We are One Valley. We will be One Club."
USL Deputy CEO & Chief Real Estate Office Justin Papadakis
"The Antelope Valley is hiding in plain sight in north Los Angeles County. With a population that rivals more well-known metros, this deserving community has thousands of young people playing soccer and thousands more passionately supporting the game at all levels. What they lack is a professional club of their own. We look forward to seeing Antelope Valley in the USL family and resonating with the community."
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris
"Lancaster Municipal Stadium, affectionately known as 'The Hangar,' has long been a beacon of pride for our community. Over the years, we've not only preserved its legacy but enhanced it. Now, as it gears up to host both professional and amateur soccer, along with diverse community events and concerts, it promises to be a hub of excitement and opportunity. It's not just a stadium – it's where the dreams of our young talents meet reality, especially with USL Antelope Valley championing their aspirations."
To stay updated with the team's progress, announcements, and season ticket information, sign up at www.USLAntelopeValley.com and follow @USL_AV on Twitter, and @USLAntelopeValley on Instagram, and Facebook.
For investment inquiries, please email investors@uslantelopevalley.com
About the City of Lancaster:
Lancaster is a diverse community of nearly 170,000, leading the future through science, technology, art, culture, and collaboration. Home to astronauts, rocket scientists, families, and innovative businesses large and small, we are leading the USA with innovation. Combined with spectacular landscapes and clean air, Lancaster has the confidence, expertise, spirit, and imagination to transform tomorrow. We are: Creating a better tomorrow. Visit us at www.cityoflancasterca.gov.
About USL Antelope Valley:
USL Antelope Valley was founded by sports industry veteran John Smelzer to be a source of opportunity and civic pride for the entire Antelope Valley for generations to come. With the motto "One Valley, One Club", USL Antelope Valley will field a men's USL League One professional team and a women's USL W League pre-professional team, as well as academy and reserve teams, all playing under the Club's singular, unifying crest. Through its planned non-profit academy, the Club aspires to offer the highest level of developmental soccer at no cost to the most talented girls and boys in the Antelope Valley. For more information, visit www.uslantelopevalley.com.
About United Soccer League (USL):
Impacting more than 200 communities, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest professional soccer organization in North America. The USL is the first and only soccer organization in the United States to build a youth-to-professional pathway for both women and men within one ecosystem. That structure includes three professional leagues: USL Championship (men), USL League One (men) and USL Super League (women), which begins in August 2024. For more information about the USL, please visit www.uslsoccer.com.
SOURCE City of Lancaster, CA
