ANN ARBOR – After just five years as an organization, AFC Ann Arbor’s men’s soccer team will now take the next step in its development.

Co-Owner and former MLS player Knox Cameron announced Monday during a press conference inside the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor that the team would move from the United States Adult Association-governed National Premier Soccer League and join the United States Soccer Federation-governed United Soccer League Two beginning with the 2020 season.

The USL2′s website states it is the leader in pre-professional soccer in the US and Canada. The league is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which oversees the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams and is also a part of the pyramid that leads players to the MLS.

“This is an incredible accomplishment for our organization,” Cameron said during the press conference. “To be at this stage after such a short time period says a lot about our organization, how we’ve gone about running ourselves and strategically how we’ve gone about implementing both soccer on the field but also ingratiating ourselves in this wonderful community.”

The men’s side will begin play in @USLLeagueTwo starting spring 2020 #COYMO 🌳 https://t.co/nJEWf9koqe — AFC Ann Arbor (@AFCAnnArbor) October 7, 2019

Also, in attendance for the announcement was sponsor Bank of Ann Arbor, represented by President and Ceo Tim Marshall, Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Sports Commission Mike Malach as well as other sponsors and fans, including members of the Main Street Hooligans.

AFC Ann Arbor began its organization in the Great Lakes Premier League before playing the past four seasons in the NPSL.

With the move to the USL2, the team hopes to bring in even greater talent and continue to help its players move to the next level in their careers.

“It’s an exciting move for the club,” said head coach and sporting director Eric Rudland. “We feel like this really gives us a great opportunity to continue to bring in top players and help them with their ambitions of winning championships here and moving on to the next level of the professional game. It’s going to be a great move for our club, for our staff and for our players.”

Joining the USL2 will change how the AFC Ann Arbor team creates its roster during to different regulations.

The new league puts a restriction on the number of international roster spots and puts a focus on building rosters with players under the age of 23, Rudland said.

“It’s going to be primarily a college-based roster,” he said. “We’ll have some international roster spots to save for top players that we can theoretically bring in. Our rosters of the past have been traditionally international based, so it just changes the makeup of the team a little bit. But obviously, that aligns with most of the teams from north America. It’s a change we’re looking forward to.”

Cameron said the USL2 had set its sights on Ann Arbor for some time and joining the league will provide another opportunity for the organization to reach a wider audience and grow its brand.

“We’ve always had general interest in growing,” he said. “With our success, USL has also taken notice of our growth. The city of Ann Arbor is an incredible town so that lends itself to being a potential opportunity and a landing ground for an organization and a team to be launched. It was the mutual interest in both parties coming together to see if it made sense and we’re happy to say that it did.”