FC Dallas and USL League One announced today that FC Dallas will be a founding member and begin play during the league’s inaugural season in 2019.
FC Dallas’ League One team will play its regular season at Toyota Stadium and potentially play a handful of games at another location within the Dallas/Fort Worth area. FC Dallas will announce the additional location as well as the name, head coach and logo of its League One team later this year.
“We are delighted to have FC Dallas join the USL,” said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. “For decades, the Hunt family has been at the forefront of growing the game in the United States, and now, they are embracing a tremendous opportunity to strengthen their club and the Dallas-Fort Worth region by launching a team in USL League One.”
Led by Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt and President Dan Hunt, FC Dallas has won the Supporters’ Shield (2016) and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1997, 2016) since beginning play in 1996. FCD boasts one of the best academy systems in the United States, having signed 23 Homegrown talents to MLS contracts while winning two U.S. Soccer Development Academy titles in both the Under-19 age group and U-17 age group.
“USL League One offers an outstanding opportunity for our younger players to compete against quality opponents,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “Having a second professional team will allow us to create a culture throughout the organization that will help us succeed at every level.”
The USL League One regular season is scheduled to begin play the weekend of March 29-31 and conclude on the weekend of Oct. 4-6. The 2019 USL League One Playoffs will consist of four teams and begin the weekend of Oct. 11-13. The final match of the postseason will take place from Oct. 17-21. The FC Dallas-operated franchise will be League One’s 10th and final founding member for the 2019 season.
For the latest news and updates, connect with FC Dallas on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The FC Dallas-operated side joins League One following the announcements of South Georgia Tormenta FC (Statesboro, Georgia), FC Tucson (Tucson, Arizona), Greenville Triumph SC (Greenville, South Carolina), Madison Pro Soccer (Madison, Wisconsin), Toronto FC II (Toronto, Ontario), Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (Chattanooga, Tennessee), Orlando City B (Orlando, Florida), the Richmond Kickers (Richmond, Virginia) and Lansing Ignite FC (Lansing, Michigan) as founding members. League One remains focused on positioning teams for long-term success by creating regional rivalries that reduce travel costs, encourage supporter travel and deliver on-field excitement.
About FC Dallas: A member of Major League Soccer since its inception in 1996, FC Dallas is owned and operated by Hunt Sports Group. The professional team plays its regular season from March to October at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. FC Dallas won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2016.
Toyota Stadium is one of the first soccer-specific stadiums built in the United States and is home to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. It hosts MLS and international soccer matches, high school and college football games, as well as concerts and other events.
The 145-acre Toyota Soccer Center also includes 17 regulation-sized, tournament-grade soccer fields and is also home to the organization’s nationally-renowned youth development system.
About USL League One: USL League One is shaping the future of the game in the United States, uniting passionate fans in new markets with the thrill of a proven professional soccer experience. League One submitted its sanctioning application to the U.S. Soccer Federation on Aug. 14. South Georgia Tormenta FC, FC Tucson, Greenville Triumph SC, a Madison-based team, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Toronto FC II, Orlando City B, Lansing Ignite FC, an FC Dallas-operated side and the Richmond Kickers have been revealed as teams set to compete in the inaugural 2019 season.
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