A Monterey Bay FC USL Championship team plan calls for a beginning of play in 2022 and includes an extensive renovation to what has been a neglected stadium on the CSU Monterey Bay campus.
The team will be Monterey Bay FC, owned by Ray Beshoff and a slate of local investors, and is slated to play out of Freeman Stadium on the CSUMB campus. The stadium dates back to the Fort Ord days and has been rarely used, save for college graduations. The renovations to Freeman Stadium will be privately financed, but will also become the home of CSUMB men’s and women’s soccer programs. From the Monterey Herald:
“It’s super exciting,” CSUMB athletic director Kirby Garry said. “They are going to rehab that stadium. It’s a creative partnership.”…
The renovation of the stadium will come from private dollars, according to league consultant Erika Bjork.
“They will be investing millions,” Bjork said. “It’s a beautiful setting. What I noticed is the frame around the stadium with the Cypress trees. It fitting for the area. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Renovations will begin this summer. A synthetic turf field will be installed as part of the renovation process, and seating when all is said and done is expected to be around 6,000. Former San Jose Earthquake head coach Frank Yallop will lead soccer operations for the expansion team.
Still to come: team colors and crest.
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