MILWAUKEE — Fans now have the chance to vote for the name of Milwaukee's future USL Championship soccer club.
The USL Championship-affiliated club will be based out of the yet-to-be-built 8,000-person soccer stadium in Milwaukee's Iron District redevelopment, TMJ4 News previously reported.
On Monday, backers of the project announced they received more than 4,000 potential names for the club. Team officials whittled that down to 64 names. Now, members of the public can vote for their favorites during the spring and summer months.
The 64 names will be further ground down to 10 names or fewer. The club will then select the finalist.
These will be voted on bracket-style, with two matchups to choose from every day.
The "Name the Team" voting is live now. Click here to learn more and vote.
Read the announcement and previous reporting below:
MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Pro Soccer today announced an official Name The Team campaign that will allow fans throughout the city of Milwaukee and beyond to help determine the name and brand colors through an interactive fan vote.
After Milwaukee Pro Soccer announced its affiliation with USL Championship, more than 4,000 team names were submitted by members of the community during the initial phase of the Name the Team process. From there, team officials selected 64 names to have the public vote on. Those 64 names will be voted on throughout the spring and summer, with two matchups being released to the public daily. Those matchups will be voted on through online voting and in-person summer activations throughout the city of Milwaukee.
“We were impressed with how the community turned out to participate in the online name submission process, and we’re eager to get this additional round of input and feedback from supporters from across the state and the region,” Conor Caloia, Big Top Entertainment owner said. “We expect a massive voter turnout for this campaign, and ultimately that input will help inform the team’s identity.”
Through the voting process, the 64 names will be voted down to ten names or fewer. Milwaukee Pro Soccer will then take those names and concepts and use them to determine the final name and branding for the new Club.
“As an ownership group, we want this club to be an authentic reflection of our great city – past, present, and future,”Jim Kacmarcik, Chairman and CEO of Kacmarcik Enterprises, and owner of Milwaukee Pro Soccer said. “We also want it to represent a community that is diverse, optimistic, progressive, hardworking, creative, and inclusive.”
Milwaukee Pro Soccer’s Name the Team voting is now live, and those interested in participating should visit www.MilwaukeeProSoccer.com.
Milwaukee Pro Soccer is scheduled to start play in 2025 as part of the USL Championship, the second-highest tier of professional soccer in the United States. The club will play its home matches at Iron District Milwaukee, which will also serve as the home pitch for the Marquette University men’s and women’s soccer clubs and Marquette’s men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, in addition to a variety of youth and community programming.
The USL Championship is sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation as the nation’s Division II professional league. The league boasts 27 clubs in major metropolitan markets including Miami, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York City, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Detroit, and Indianapolis. The Championship is the pinnacle of the USL’s comprehensive league ecosystem, which includes three professional leagues, two pre-professional leagues, a developmental academy system, and a nationally-competitive youth network. The organization consists of more than 200 teams, from youth to pro, across the United States.
About Milwaukee Pro Soccer
Milwaukee Pro Soccer is a club that represents the culture and spirit of the city of Milwaukee, delivering Wisconsin’s highest level of professional soccer and a dedication to fostering positive change in the community. The club, which is part of the USL Championship, will begin play in 2025 at the Iron District MKE in a newly constructed 8,000-seat stadium.
Milwaukee's Iron District stadium to be home to USL Championship soccer club
Oct 19, 2022
MILWAUKEE — The 8,000-seat stadium proposed in the 'Iron District' redevelopment in Milwaukee will be home to a new soccer club with the USL Championship league.
Backers of the proposal, including Kacmarcik Enterprises, Milwaukee Pro Soccer, and the United Soccer League, made the announcement on Wednesday.
The USL is the second-highest tier of professional soccer in the United States, after Major League Soccer. The USL league includes 27 clubs, including in Detroit, Iowa and Pittsburgh in the Midwest.
The league's arrival in Milwaukee would be the first time an outdoor soccer franchise has operated in the city since 2002, when the Milwaukee Rampage dissolved. Rampage was part of the A-League at the time, which represented the second-highest tier of professional soccer in the U.S. at the time. USL described A-League as a precursor to the USL.
“In discussions with the developers for Iron District MKE and representatives from Milwaukee Pro Soccer, it’s clear that this group’s progressive and ambitious plans can have a transformative impact on an area of our city that needs this kind of investment,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson in a statement.
The team would move into the proposed Iron District stadium in 2025, officials said. Kacmarcik Enterprises owns the rights to the USL franchise, and their chairman, Jim Kacmarcik, said in a statement that “major cities have professional soccer clubs, and we’re proud to deliver that to Milwaukee – a premier sports city with a rich soccer culture that runs deep throughout our community."
The club has launched a website to find its new name. You can fill out their one-sheet on their website to tell them what you want in the club.
Backers announce plans for the Iron District redevelopment earlier this year. The $160 million project is to be located between 10th and North James Lovell streets on the south side of Michigan Street.
The proposal aims to include 99 affordable apartments in Michigan Street Commons, the 8,000-seat soccer stadium, a 140-room hotel and performance venue with a capacity of up to 3,500 people.
RELATED: Construction to begin on Iron District redevelopment in Milwaukee
Proponents hope the buildings are finished and open sometime in 2024.
The City of Milwaukee earmarked up to $1.8 million in tax incremental financing to help pay for the apartments.
The first heavy construction on the Iron District project began in September, including work on the soccer stadium and concert venue.
USL includes three professional leagues, two pre-professional leagues, a developmental academy system, and a youth network, according to a statement from organizers. The league consists of more than 200 teams, from youth to pro, across the United States.
Iron District MKE will also serve as the home for the Marquette University men’s and women’s soccer clubs and Marquette’s men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
