Dakota Crawford | IndyStar

The Indy Eleven announced it will join the United Soccer League on Wednesday following several days of speculation and reports surrounding the club's move away from the North American Soccer League.

"We enjoyed our run in the NASL, and we want to wish them the best," team president Jeff Belskus told IndyStar after announcement. "But we're very excited about being in the USL. It's a very stable, growing league. This is very positive for Indy Eleven."

The Indy Eleven's future has been up in the air since U.S. Soccer didn't grant the NASL Division II status in September. The league lost a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation and is currently awaiting word on its appeal.

The Eleven didn't wait around. Indy joins Fresno FC, Las Vegas Lights FC, Nashville SC, North Carolina FC and ATL UTD 2 as new additions to the USL. This league has a strong relationship with Major League Soccer, Belskus said, which could help the Eleven in its long-term goal of bringing a top-tier expansion to Indianapolis.

As for current season ticket holders, this doesn't change much. They will get first priority on seats for the upcoming season with renewal information to be distributed in the coming days.

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Despite a report that the Eleven could play at Lucas Oil Stadium, the team, for now, plans to remain at Carroll Stadium on IUPUI's campus. Belskus said they're asking around the city and "exploring other options," but has no timetable for picking somewhere new. Efforts to build a publicly-funded stadium have previously failed.

The team is searching for a head coach, and Belskus said an announcement could come within the next week. Current players could sign agreements to keep playing for the Eleven in the USL, but Belskus said that is yet to be decided in many cases.

"This won't affect our fan's game day experience," he said. "We're going to continue to play soccer at a high level. It puts on very firm footing with a very stable league. It helps us keep soccer in this market we've come to love."

Indy Eleven averaged 9,170 fans per game across its four prior seasons, making it one of the strongest lower-division clubs.

“We are excited to begin a new chapter in our club’s history as we join the USL for the 2018 season,” Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir said in a release. “The USL’s remarkable growth on and off the field the past few years has gotten the attention of soccer fans everywhere."

You can find Dakota on Twitter: @DakotaCrawford_.