Milwaukee Pro Soccer announced Wednesday that it expects to kick off its franchise play in the United Soccer League in 2026, instead of 2025, as originally planned.
It will be a big year for footie in Milwaukee as local fans will also surely be closely watching the FIFA World Cup, which returns to the U.S. (and Canada and Mexico) that year, for the first time since 1994.
Although construction progresses on the residential phase of the Iron District MKE project on Michigan Street, between 6th and 10th Streets, the soccer stadium construction has not yet begun.
Although the former hotel on the site has been razed, another building, along 6th Street, is not only still standing but still has tenants with active leases.
The stadium, however, recently got a nearly $10 million grant from the state.
At the same time, Milwaukee Pro Soccer continues to work Cramer-Krasselt on the official team name, crest, branding and other related decisions.
“As the highest level of pro soccer in the state of Wisconsin, we know we only have one opening day, and we want to make sure we get that product, that fan experience, and our facilities right,” said Conor Caloia, Milwaukee Pro Soccer’s Chief Operating Officer in a statement.
“The stadium and experience we will bring will be worth the wait. We’re excited for a successful kickoff season in 2026.”
The as-yet-unnamed team will play in the USL Championship, which is the second-highest tier of professional soccer in the United States.
Sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation as the nation’s Division II professional league, the league has 27 teams playing in major metropolitan markets like Miami, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Detroit and Indianapolis.
Read more about the Iron District plan here.
See more on the team name selection process here.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
