Milwaukee Pro Soccer announced Wednesday that the franchise plans to begin play in the United Soccer League in 2026, a year later than initially planned.
“As the highest level of pro soccer in the state of Wisconsin, we know we only have one opening day, and we want to make sure we get that product, that fan experience, and our facilities right,” Milwaukee Pro Soccer Chief Operating Officer Conor Caloia said. “The stadium and experience we will bring will be worth the wait. We’re excited for a successful kickoff season in 2026.”
The Milwaukee franchise will play in an 8,000-seat stadium that will be part of the planned Iron District Milwaukee development in the city’s Westown neighborhood. The stadium will also be home to Marquette University’s men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams.
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The stadium is planned for a long-neglected section of Downtown, an 11-acre parcel at the northwest corner of the Marquette Interchange near the Marquette University campus.
Milwaukee Pro Soccer continues to move forward with partners at Milwaukee-based marketing agency Cramer-Krasselt to develop a final team name, crest and branding and will continue conducting community engagement activities in the time leading up to its inaugural match.
The community submitted more than 4,000 team name ideas and 200,000 total votes during a tournament-style competition that narrowed potential team names down to 10 options: Milwaukee Tall Boys, Milwaukee Barons, Goodland, Milwaukee Brigade, Lake Effect, Fresh Coast, Milwaukee Iron, Cream City, 1846 Milwaukee and Milwaukee Industrial.
Milwaukee Pro Soccer is slated to join the USL Championship, the second-highest tier of professional soccer in the United States. The USL Championship is sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation as the nation’s Division II professional league. The league consists of 27 clubs in metropolitan markets including Miami, San Diego, Las Vegas, 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 professional, across the country.
Milwaukee Pro Soccer will field the first professional outdoor soccer franchise in Milwaukee since 2002, when the Milwaukee Rampage dissolved. At the time, the Rampage played in the A-League, which represented the second-highest tier of professional soccer in the U.S. and was a precursor to the current USL Championship.
