By: Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal
By: Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal
by USL Digital
by USL Digital
by USL Digital
By: Zach Heilprin, Wisconsin Sports Zone
Professional soccer is coming to Madison.
During an event held at Breese Stevens Field on Thursday night, it was announced Madison had been awarded a franchise in the newly formed third division of the USL. They are one of four teams so far, with the others being based in Georgia, Arizona and South Carolina.
“We’re proud to welcome Madison to USL Division III and to have Wisconsin’s state capital leading Midwest expansion for USL Division III,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a release. “The future of professional soccer in the Midwest lies in markets as strong and vibrant as Madison, making the city an ideal pillar for our league in the region.
Big Top Soccer, led by Vern Stenman, Conor Caloia, Jim Kacmaricik and Steve Schmidt, will serve as the ownership group. If those names sound familiar, they should, as Stenman and Caloia oversee the management of the Madison Mallards and three other clubs in the Northwoods League, while Schmidt is the owner of the Mallards and three other teams.
The games will be played at Breese Stevens Field, but not before significant renovations are completed. The Madison City Council approved a new year 10-year contract with Big Top Events, run by Stenman and Caloia, with $1.3 million in improvements for the facility.
Though passionate about the game, the ownership group decided to go outside the family for a talent evaluator, hiring Peter Wilt as managing director.
“We’re building this from the bottom up,” Wilt said. “It’s the world’s game, but this will be Madison’s team.”
The team will start playing games in March of 2019, and Wilt hammered home the idea that the team belongs to the fans and they’ll fight to put the best product they can on the field.
“Together we will build the club. Together we will make this club known and respected throughout the land,” Wilt said. “Together we will live Wisconsin’s motto through this club — Forward!”
You can find more information here about the team, including what the renovations will look like at Breese Stevens and to buy tickets.
By: Zach Heilprin, Wisconsin Sports Zone
Professional soccer is coming to Madison.
During an event held at Breese Stevens Field on Thursday night, it was announced Madison had been awarded a franchise in the newly formed third division of the USL. They are one of four teams so far, with the others being based in Georgia, Arizona and South Carolina.
“We’re proud to welcome Madison to USL Division III and to have Wisconsin’s state capital leading Midwest expansion for USL Division III,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a release. “The future of professional soccer in the Midwest lies in markets as strong and vibrant as Madison, making the city an ideal pillar for our league in the region.
Big Top Soccer, led by Vern Stenman, Conor Caloia, Jim Kacmaricik and Steve Schmidt, will serve as the ownership group. If those names sound familiar, they should, as Stenman and Caloia oversee the management of the Madison Mallards and three other clubs in the Northwoods League, while Schmidt is the owner of the Mallards and three other teams.
The games will be played at Breese Stevens Field, but not before significant renovations are completed. The Madison City Council approved a new year 10-year contract with Big Top Events, run by Stenman and Caloia, with $1.3 million in improvements for the facility.
Though passionate about the game, the ownership group decided to go outside the family for a talent evaluator, hiring Peter Wilt as managing director.
“We’re building this from the bottom up,” Wilt said. “It’s the world’s game, but this will be Madison’s team.”
The team will start playing games in March of 2019, and Wilt hammered home the idea that the team belongs to the fans and they’ll fight to put the best product they can on the field.
“Together we will build the club. Together we will make this club known and respected throughout the land,” Wilt said. “Together we will live Wisconsin’s motto through this club — Forward!”
You can find more information here about the team, including what the renovations will look like at Breese Stevens and to buy tickets.
by USL Digital
By: Sean Maloney, 940 WFAW
Madison is about to get its first professional soccer team. The team is coming to Breese Stevens field — the team name and mascot haven't been decided yet. The squad will be the fourth founding member of the United Soccer League Division III, which is two tiers below major league soccer. Team officials hope pro soccer will add even more excitement to the city's east side. "We see the near east side of Madison becoming like a kind of little Wrigleyville, with great restaurants and bars and professional soccer," said Madison Pro Soccer President Vern Stenman. Fans will get to choose the team's name and mascot. The team is sponsored by Big Top Events. The announcement comes after Madison's city council approved a 10-year lease extension with Big Top Events for Breese Stevens Field.
By: Sean Maloney, 940 WFAW
Madison is about to get its first professional soccer team. The team is coming to Breese Stevens field — the team name and mascot haven’t been decided yet. The squad will be the fourth founding member of the United Soccer League Division III, which is two tiers below major league soccer. Team officials hope pro soccer will add even more excitement to the city’s east side. “We see the near east side of Madison becoming like a kind of little Wrigleyville, with great restaurants and bars and professional soccer,” said Madison Pro Soccer President Vern Stenman. Fans will get to choose the team’s name and mascot. The team is sponsored by Big Top Events. The announcement comes after Madison’s city council approved a 10-year lease extension with Big Top Events for Breese Stevens Field.
by USL Digital
by USL Digital
by USL Digital
By: Tom Whitcomb, The Bozho
“The beautiful game” is coming to our city, and Peter Wilt wants you to help name Madison’s future club.
It was announced last month that Madison will join the United Soccer League’s Division III starting in 2019 (it’ll be USL D3’s first year, too). For now just billed as “Madison Pro Soccer,” the team was unveiled on May 18 by its ownership group, Big Top Events, which also own the Madison Mallards. Wilt, a longtime sports executive, was introduced as the new club’s managing director.
A recent interview with Soccer America provides a little detail on Wilt’s distinguished résumé. He’s worked with both the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Admirals in his career, but really made a name for himself in 1998 when he helped to launch the Chicago Fire, one of Major League Soccer’s best known franchises. The Fire won both the MLS Cup and U.S. Open double in its inaugural season.
Madison Pro Soccer (we really need to work on that name, but more on that later) will play their home games at Breese Stevens Field, the historical landmark that’s also home to Madison’s longtime semi-pro soccer club, the 56ers. Wilt makes sure to stress the impact of Breese Stevens’ location on Madison Pro Soccer’s long-term future.
“The neighborhood has a high concentration of young adults that are passionate about soccer. It’s booming. Apartment buildings are going up. There’s a lot of retail [shops], bars and restaurants popping up.”
He adds: “I think there’s a certain thirst for professional outdoor soccer.”
Wilt is likely onto something there, as the sport has surged in popularity in recent years, especially as more and more people turn away from what Wikipedia calls gridiron football. But there’s still a pressing issue: the new team needs a name. And that’s where you come in.
Madison Pro Soccer is accepting submissions for a name and color scheme for the club through June 30, and the public will be able to vote on potential names each week until then. (Some highlights so far: Madison Curds, Madison Flamingos.) This is a good chance for you to knock “Name a professional sports team” off your bucket list.
The final voting round will begin after this year’s World Cup final, so there’s still plenty of time for you to explain why “Bozho FC” would be the best name for this team.
By: Tom Whitcomb, The Bozho
“The beautiful game” is coming to our city, and Peter Wilt wants you to help name Madison’s future club.
It was announced last month that Madison will join the United Soccer League’s Division III starting in 2019 (it’ll be USL D3’s first year, too). For now just billed as “Madison Pro Soccer,” the team was unveiled on May 18 by its ownership group, Big Top Events, which also own the Madison Mallards. Wilt, a longtime sports executive, was introduced as the new club’s managing director.
A recent interview with Soccer America provides a little detail on Wilt’s distinguished résumé. He’s worked with both the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Admirals in his career, but really made a name for himself in 1998 when he helped to launch the Chicago Fire, one of Major League Soccer’s best known franchises. The Fire won both the MLS Cup and U.S. Open double in its inaugural season.
Madison Pro Soccer (we really need to work on that name, but more on that later) will play their home games at Breese Stevens Field, the historical landmark that’s also home to Madison’s longtime semi-pro soccer club, the 56ers. Wilt makes sure to stress the impact of Breese Stevens’ location on Madison Pro Soccer’s long-term future.
“The neighborhood has a high concentration of young adults that are passionate about soccer. It’s booming. Apartment buildings are going up. There’s a lot of retail [shops], bars and restaurants popping up.”
He adds: “I think there’s a certain thirst for professional outdoor soccer.”
Wilt is likely onto something there, as the sport has surged in popularity in recent years, especially as more and more people turn away from what Wikipedia calls gridiron football. But there’s still a pressing issue: the new team needs a name. And that’s where you come in.
Madison Pro Soccer is accepting submissions for a name and color scheme for the club through June 30, and the public will be able to vote on potential names each week until then. (Some highlights so far: Madison Curds, Madison Flamingos.) This is a good chance for you to knock “Name a professional sports team” off your bucket list.
The final voting round will begin after this year’s World Cup final, so there’s still plenty of time for you to explain why “Bozho FC” would be the best name for this team.
by USL Digital
By: Robert Chappell, Madison 365
Madison’s first professional soccer team won’t have a name until later this summer … because it’ll take that long for the community to weigh in.
Big Top Events, which operates Breese Stevens Field and owns the Madison Mallards, announced last month that it would bring a United Soccer League Division III team to Madison to begin play next year. At that time, managing director Peter Wilt said it would be the community’s team — and the community would help name it.
Big Top Events President Vern Stenman told Madison365 that the company has already received about 250 suggestions through the website madisonprosoccer.com. He said the company truly doesn’t yet know what the team’s name and colors will be yet.
The naming process has begun, though, in a format soccer fans will recognize: a group stage to narrow the field to eight leading to a knockout rounds and an ultimate champion.
Even as they’re still taking suggestions, the team has opened voting in Group A and Group B, and will unveil two new groups every Wednesday until all 32 qualifiers have been revealed. The quarterfinals will begin June 27, semifinals will begin July 4 and the final will take place after the World Cup final on July 15. Colors and crest will be added in the knockout rounds.
The first two groups of nominees contain some traditional football club names like “Madison United FC” and “Mad City Football Club” along with some more Americanized names like “Madison Lakers” and some that would only work here — “Holsteins,” “Curds,” and “77 Square Miles SC,” for example.
The team stresses that the fan vote is advisory — “Certain trademark and other factors will be taken into consideration,” according to the team’s website. Also, “The schedule is subject to change due to variable deadlines for design and production.”
To cast your vote for Madison Pro Soccer's new club name click here!
By: Robert Chappell, Madison 365
Madison’s first professional soccer team won’t have a name until later this summer … because it’ll take that long for the community to weigh in.
Big Top Events, which operates Breese Stevens Field and owns the Madison Mallards, announced last month that it would bring a United Soccer League Division III team to Madison to begin play next year. At that time, managing director Peter Wilt said it would be the community’s team — and the community would help name it.
Big Top Events President Vern Stenman told Madison365 that the company has already received about 250 suggestions through the website madisonprosoccer.com. He said the company truly doesn’t yet know what the team’s name and colors will be yet.
The naming process has begun, though, in a format soccer fans will recognize: a group stage to narrow the field to eight leading to a knockout rounds and an ultimate champion.
Even as they’re still taking suggestions, the team has opened voting in Group A and Group B, and will unveil two new groups every Wednesday until all 32 qualifiers have been revealed. The quarterfinals will begin June 27, semifinals will begin July 4 and the final will take place after the World Cup final on July 15. Colors and crest will be added in the knockout rounds.
The first two groups of nominees contain some traditional football club names like “Madison United FC” and “Mad City Football Club” along with some more Americanized names like “Madison Lakers” and some that would only work here — “Holsteins,” “Curds,” and “77 Square Miles SC,” for example.
The team stresses that the fan vote is advisory — “Certain trademark and other factors will be taken into consideration,” according to the team’s website. Also, “The schedule is subject to change due to variable deadlines for design and production.”
To cast your vote for Madison Pro Soccer’s new club name click here!
by USL Digital
By: Michael Popke, Isthmus
Peter Wilt believes he holds the unofficial world record for number of professional soccer franchises launched by an individual. The count — which includes Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire — is now at six, following the recent announcement that Madison will join the burgeoning United Soccer League Division III.
“This is an opportunity for live viewing of a sport that a pretty big segment of Madison is following online or on television,” says Wilt, the newly hired managing director of Madison Pro Soccer, a branch of Big Top Events, which runs the city-owned Breese Stevens Field.
The team is expected to begin play next spring, with the league’s inaugural season running from March to September. Wilt expects up to 14 teams to compete the first year, with the league eventually expanding to as many as 24 teams. Breese Stevens Field likely will host an average of three home games per month — two on Saturdays and one on Wednesday — according to Wilt.
Right now, Madison is the only Midwestern city in the league, with other teams announced in Statesboro, Georgia, Tucson, Arizona and Greenville, South Carolina. Wisconsin also is the second most-populous state in the country (behind Michigan) without an outdoor pro soccer team, Wilt says.
Bringing pro soccer to Madison was a major goal when Big Top took over management of the 92-year-old east side stadium, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. To prep for the new team, the facility will undergo a series of major renovations, including expanding capacity to about 5,000.
“We pride ourselves on seeing what’s next and taking good risks,” Big Top president Vern Stenman says. “This feels like the right next step.”
Wilt expects that hardcore local fans of Europe’s Premier League, who pack Nomad World Pub and The Coopers Tavern to watch games played across the pond, will drive the new team’s fanbase. “Our supporters will be the ones who won’t need seats,” he says. “They’ll have drums and chants and smoke bombs. The catalyst will be the enthusiasm of those fans.”
The roster will be chosen from a large pool of national and international players, and Wilt hopes the new team boasts some former UW-Madison players, too.
Madison Pro Soccer also is inviting fans to submit team name and colors ideas in its “Name Your Club” contest. Online voting likely will begin in late June. “We want the name to reflect the history, tradition, geography and culture of the city,” Wilt says. “We don’t just want some random gimmicky name that sounds cute.”
By: Michael Popke, Isthmus
Peter Wilt believes he holds the unofficial world record for number of professional soccer franchises launched by an individual. The count — which includes Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire — is now at six, following the recent announcement that Madison will join the burgeoning United Soccer League Division III.
“This is an opportunity for live viewing of a sport that a pretty big segment of Madison is following online or on television,” says Wilt, the newly hired managing director of Madison Pro Soccer, a branch of Big Top Events, which runs the city-owned Breese Stevens Field.
The team is expected to begin play next spring, with the league’s inaugural season running from March to September. Wilt expects up to 14 teams to compete the first year, with the league eventually expanding to as many as 24 teams. Breese Stevens Field likely will host an average of three home games per month — two on Saturdays and one on Wednesday — according to Wilt.
Right now, Madison is the only Midwestern city in the league, with other teams announced in Statesboro, Georgia, Tucson, Arizona and Greenville, South Carolina. Wisconsin also is the second most-populous state in the country (behind Michigan) without an outdoor pro soccer team, Wilt says.
Bringing pro soccer to Madison was a major goal when Big Top took over management of the 92-year-old east side stadium, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. To prep for the new team, the facility will undergo a series of major renovations, including expanding capacity to about 5,000.
“We pride ourselves on seeing what’s next and taking good risks,” Big Top president Vern Stenman says. “This feels like the right next step.”
Wilt expects that hardcore local fans of Europe’s Premier League, who pack Nomad World Pub and The Coopers Tavern to watch games played across the pond, will drive the new team’s fanbase. “Our supporters will be the ones who won’t need seats,” he says. “They’ll have drums and chants and smoke bombs. The catalyst will be the enthusiasm of those fans.”
The roster will be chosen from a large pool of national and international players, and Wilt hopes the new team boasts some former UW-Madison players, too.
Madison Pro Soccer also is inviting fans to submit team name and colors ideas in its “Name Your Club” contest. Online voting likely will begin in late June. “We want the name to reflect the history, tradition, geography and culture of the city,” Wilt says. “We don’t just want some random gimmicky name that sounds cute.”
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