Talks continue in effort to bring United Soccer League D3 club to Greenville

A professional soccer team playing in Greenville next year remains a possibility.

Greenville Chamber President and CEO Carlos Phillips announced at the organization’s 129th Annual Meeting Thursday night that the United Soccer League is continuing talks to bring a team here to begin play in the 2019 season.

Between eight and 12 teams are slated to kick off an inaugural season for the USL’s D3 league in the spring of 2019. Each team would play approximately 14 home matches between March and mid-September.

The league is in discussions with potential local ownership.

“Having a USL D3 franchise in Greater Greenville would be a win for the entire Upstate,” Phillips said. “Communities around the country are seeing first-hand how the presence of a USL franchise helps them recruit companies and attract and retain young professionals – the key demographic for pro soccer – as well as a critically important group in growing a vibrant economy.”

Steven Short, vice president of the circuit, met with local business leaders last July and left feeling optimistic about Greenville’s chances of landing a franchise in the new league.

“Greenville is right there at the top of our list,” Short said.

Short toured three potential venues while in Greenville – Sirrine Stadium, Furman University’s Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium, and Fluor Field, home of the Class a Greenville Drive baseball team. One of those facilities could host the team for its inaugural season, but plans to construct a stadium also are being discussed.

“The list of what we like about Greenville is long,” he said. “It’s a growing city, a hidden gem, the population is young. It has a global economy. It’s a soccer city. There are 11 college (soccer) programs within 50 miles and South Carolina has over 22,000 registered youth soccer players. There are a lot of elements at play, and there’s already a desire for soccer here.”

The South Georgia Tormenta Football Club, based in Statesboro, Georgia, was announced last week as the D3 league's first founding member.