Milwaukee’s rich soccer history is writing a new chapter this week. Following the announcement of a new stadium being built in the downtown area, a tweet has confirmed a date for the official announcement from the new club.
Under the username @MKE_ProSoccer, the new team posted its first message since the account was created in May 2022. An event will be held on Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m. CST at the corners of W Michigan Ave and N 10th Street, just off Marquette University’s campus.
Something's brewing... pic.twitter.com/qjlF9SWa5R
— Milwaukee Pro Soccer (@MKE_ProSoccer) October 17, 2022
The announcement will likely include the name and colors of the new team along with the league the team will officially play in.
Milwaukee's new mixed-use development, known as the "Iron District", will include a 8,000 seat soccer stadium.
Kacmarcik Enterprises Owner Jim Kacmarcik has expressed plans to bring a professional soccer team to Milwaukee.(via @journalsentinel) pic.twitter.com/QbQLLhdWNq
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) May 23, 2022
In late May, it was announced via a press release from Kacmarcik Enterprises that it and Bear Development had purchased a plot of land from Marquette University and would be building “a vibrant sports and entertainment district” in downtown Milwaukee.
According to the press release, the main feature of the project would be an “8,000-seat stadium serving as the home to the highest level of professional soccer in the state of Wisconsin and as the home competition field for Marquette men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams.”
USL Attendance w/e 9/18: 7 teams over the 5k mark with Louisville and Sacramento both eclipsing 10k. Forward Madison over 4k in League One. pic.twitter.com/rgIsJT2k8u
— Mike Pendleton (@phat7deuce) September 21, 2022
Kacmarcic Enterprises represent several high-profile brands and partnerships, including part-ownership of the Milwaukee Bucks and Forward Madison FC. The Flamingos, or Mingos for short, are an immensely popular soccer team in Madison, Wisconsin, that currently plays in USL League One, the third tier of American soccer. Since its founding in 2018, the team has built a massive fan base across the state and regularly boasts the largest crowds in its division.
What a game!!! Thank you to all of our amazing Fans, Friends, Family, etc! Your support means everything to us! We couldn't have done this without you! pic.twitter.com/Vkpm9k8SMP
— Milwaukee Wave (@MilwaukeeWave) May 6, 2019
75 miles away from Madison, Milwaukee is home to the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States. Founded in 1984, the Milwaukee Wave plays indoor soccer and has won seven league titles, most recently in the 2018-19 Major Arena Soccer League season. The Wave is also consistently amongst the best-attended teams in the MASL, averaging over 3,000 spectators per match last season.
The city is also home to the Milwaukee Torrent, a semi-professional outdoor team that currently plays in the National Premier Soccer League, and used to be home to the now-defunct Milwaukee Rampage.
https://t.co/A763eDi2yZ #USL Expecting a Milwaukee to USLC announcement this week. Wednesday 4:30PM.
— USL Championship Reddit (@USLonReddit) October 17, 2022
The language in the press release seems to indicate that the new team will be competing in the USL Championship, one division higher than what Forward Madison currently plays in. As Major League Soccer continues to grow, it seems unlikely that Milwaukee would be able to join the elites immediately, especially with a proposed stadium that would comfortably be the smallest in the league. Among USL Championship sides, 8,000 capacity would actually be fairly large.
Given the connection between Forward Madison and Kacmarcik Enterprises, it's conceivably possible that Forward Madison could relocate across the state and rebrand. It's more likely, however, that Milwaukee will be getting a completely new team of its own, and that the two sides will assume more of a sibling rivalry under a shared parent company.
