When USL League One kicks off its second season in 2020, it will have a team in Nebraska.
On Wednesday, the league announced it awarded an expansion franchise to Alliance Omaha Soccer Holdings, which will put a team from the third-tier league in Omaha, Nebraska.
The team is still unnamed, but it will be the only professional soccer club playing in the state of Nebraska. Tabbed to coach the team is Jay Mims, the former head coach at the University of Nebraska Omaha and a former assistant coach and scout in the Real Salt Lake academy system.
Werner Park – home of a Triple-A minor league baseball team, the Omaha Storm Chasers – will be the host for the club’s games in 2020. Not only will the soccer and baseball clubs share the same ballpark, but the same president and general manager too in Martie Cordaro.
“The Omaha soccer community has been yearning for a team to call their own and more importantly deserve a team to call their own,” Gary Green, the owner and CEO of Alliance Omaha Soccer, said in a statement. “The USL’s vision to grow the beautiful game has shifted the dynamics of cities and communities across the country, creating an energy and passion that these communities have never seen before. Like other USL cities, Omaha metro and Sarpy County will experience this same shift.”
Green’s Alliance Omaha Soccer group has been in talks with the USL for more than two years about bringing a professional soccer team to the largest city in Nebraska.
In addition to Green, Cordaro and Mims, the club’s leadership will also include Matthew Homonoff as chief operating officer. Homonoff has been the general manager of USL League Two’s Des Moines Menace since 2012, a stretch that included four division titles and three trips to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.
“Omaha metro is an established sports destination and one that will thrive as a home to professional soccer,” USL senior vice president Steven Short said in a statement. “The addition of Omaha to League One allows us to continue to bring professional soccer to new communities across the country.”
The team’s name and crest will be released later this year. It will be developed with the input of fans and reflect the spirit of the Omaha region, according to a press release from the club. During that process, the team will host several town halls, workshops, interviews and online polls to gather comments from the local soccer community.
Renovations to Werner Park will begin this fall. Once finished, the stadium will feature additional locker rooms, field enhancements and offices for the soccer staff. The construction is being funded by Sarpy County.
“We have established a level of excellence at Werner Park,” Cordaro said in a statement. “Through soccer, we can continue to elevate the sports and entertainment experience for the greater Omaha region, as well as create an environment to develop talent, both on and off the field.”
When the team in Omaha kicks off the USL – between the Championship and League One – will have pro soccer teams based in 27 states.
League One currently fields 10 teams. Along with Omaha, Penn FC and the Rochester Rhinos are set to join the league in 2020.
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— USL League One (@USLLeagueOne) May 1, 2019