Another United Soccer League expansion to note: a new USL New Mexico team will be playing out of Isotopes Park, home of the baseball Albuquerque Isotopes, in 2019.
New Mexico is the fifth team to join the USL for the 2019 season, joining teams in other thriving soccer markets in Texas, Alabama and Tennessee. The state’s introduction to the league bolsters the USL’s growing footprint in the Southwest and adds another dynamic ownership group to the USL’s franchise portfolio.
New Mexico joins Birmingham, Austin, El Paso and Memphis as 2019 USL expansion teams, though it is not certain whether Austin will indeed be fielding a USL team given the uncertainty surrounding pro soccer in that city. The addition puts the 2019 USL lineup at 37 teams; there are currently 33 teams, but FC Cincinnati was awarded a 2019 MLS team.
“This new professional soccer franchise is the vehicle, but our vision is much bigger than soccer,” said President and Team Owner Peter Trevisani. “Our passion is for the sport and the power it has to uplift and transform communities. The economic impact witnessed in other markets that have welcomed USL soccer is huge, and we’re excited to bring that back home to our state. Our entire ownership group, which includes Ian McKinnon, Ed Garcia, Ben Spencer and Jason Harrington, is committed to improving the quality of life for all of us in New Mexico.”
“We are thrilled to welcome New Mexico to the USL family and strengthen the sport of soccer in the Southwest,” said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. “The exceptional members of USL New Mexico’s ownership group, led by Peter Trevisani, care deeply for soccer and New Mexico, and they are focused on contributing to its economy and youth in a positive way. I am confident this group, and fans across the state, will propel the USL’s latest club toward remarkable achievements on and off the field in the coming years.”
The team will play its inaugural season at Isotopes Park starting in March 2019.