Rogers, Arkansas and Tampa, Florida – In a historic breakthrough for professional soccer in Arkansas, the United Soccer League (USL) today announced an exclusive partnership with USL Arkansas. USL Arkansas is the group that will establish a men’s and women’s professional soccer club in Northwest Arkansas as the region’s first professional team. .
USL Arkansas is led by co-founders Chris Martinovich and Warren Smith. Martinovic, a longtime Northwest Arkansas executive with a lifelong passion for football, and Smith, a seasoned sports industry professional with a track record of building solutions for teams and stadiums across the country. , offering a unique blend of expertise and stadium solutions. Enthusiasm for ventures.
Northwest Arkansas includes the cities of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, and Springdale and has a rapidly growing population of over 570,000.
“As a former player, I am thrilled to bring professional football to a rich area in Northwest Arkansas that deserves to bring professional football,” said Chris Martinovich. “I have seen firsthand the power of football to bring communities together, so I am thrilled that this club will have a positive impact on our community.”
Founded in 2010, the United Soccer League (USL) has rapidly grown into a globally respected organization and was the first to create a complete youth-to-professional pathway for men and women within one ecosystem. As an organization, they were shaping the future of American football.
The USL Championship currently features 24 men’s professional teams, each playing a regular season of 34 games from March to October and is Division II sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. USL Championship teams average more than 5,000 fans per game, and teams like Louisville City SC, New Mexico United, Sacramento Republic, and Indy Eleven regularly see him per game. has amassed over 10,000 fans.
With its inaugural season kicking off in August 2024, the USL Super League will bring world-class women’s professional football closer to wider communities across the country and will receive Division I sanction from US Soccer. To keep pace with women’s football around the world, the USL Super League will be held on an international ‘autumn-summer’ calendar, a rarity in American football.
“USL Arkansas represents a new chapter in USL’s history,” said Justin Papadakis, USL Deputy CEO and Chief Real Estate Officer. “Northwest Arkansas is a fast-growing region with vibrant communities and is the perfect location for this expansion. Chris’ experience and passion for the community are the perfect ingredients to create something special in this emerging region and we can’t wait to see the positive impact this club and team have on our local community and beyond. yeah.”
In addition to providing the region with its first professional team, USL Arkansas is working to develop a multipurpose stadium with over 5,000 seats in the heart of the Pinnacle Hills Entertainment District in Rogers, Arkansas. The move forms part of Martinovic and Smith’s broader vision of embedding the world’s matches within the community and providing fans with an exciting and unique matchday entertainment experience. USL Arkansas’ goal is for him to start playing in the USL Championship before the 2026 FIFA World Cup opens in the United States, and in the fall of the same year he will start playing in the USL Super League.
“I have been visiting family here for 33 years and have seen how this community transcends class to create dynamic places to live, work and play,” said Warren Smith. rice field. “We will work with local governments, community leaders and most importantly the fans to create a football club that reflects the unique spirit of this community and that we can all be proud of while creating a beautiful game. I look forward to joining it.”
USL Arkansas launched a listening session campaign aimed at learning from the community what clubs expect from their clubs. Official team names, colors and branding will be developed over the next few months through this process.
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“While we are establishing the club, our aim is to build a symbol of unity in Northwest Arkansas,” Martinovic explained. “It’s only possible by listening, and it helps shape our team’s identity.”
