Soccer fans root on Fresno FC as they play at Chukchansi Stadium in this file photo.

The City of Fresno announced the first formal step toward landing professional women’s and men’s soccer teams Tuesday morning with an exclusive agreement with the United Soccer League (USL) to explore building a downtown soccer-specific stadium and bringing a franchise to the Central Valley.

Mayor Jerry Dyer said the city has entered a one-year exclusivity and due diligence period with the USL, making it the first major milestone in a long-anticipated effort to establish professional soccer in Fresno. The process includes finalizing stadium site selection, evaluating funding options and finding an ownership group., officials said.

While Dyer declined to name a specific location of the future stadium, he made it no secret that his preferred site is in the Downtown Fresno/ Chinatown area. It would have a capacity of around 7,000 with an opportunity of expanding in the future.

If plans for the stadium move forward, the stadium and teams could be ready at the start of 2028, he said. It is unknown if the teams would play in another venue if the stadium isn’t completed in time. 

 

“Fresno is ready for professional soccer and a dedicated stadium in Downtown Fresno,” Dyer said, pointing to sold-out exhibition matches at Chukchansi Park and strong fan turnout that has boosted nearby restaurants and businesses. He noted soccer’s ability to anchor entertainment districts and drive economic activity before and after games, which aligns with USL’s vision.

Justin Papadakis, USL deputy CEO and chief real estate officer, said the league centers on stadium-anchored, community-centered developments that create long-term economic impact for communities. He highlighted soccer’s younger fan base and fixed game windows as key factors of spending at surrounding small businesses.

There were no plans or an announcement of the team name, branding and any other information announced during the news conference.  

Professional soccer has had an up-and-down history with Fresno, with many of the issues coming from the lack of a soccer-specific stadium over the years. Many of the teams played their games at Chukchansi Park. 

 

Fresno last hosted a professional soccer team from 2022-2024 with Central Valley Fuego FC, who played its matches at Fresno State. Prior to Fuego FC, Fresno had the Fresno Fuego and Fresno FC.

City officials previously explored a sale of Selland Arena and Valdez Hall for a soccer stadium with the owners of Fuego FC, the Ruelas family, who as of last April had plans to build their own soccer stadium near Blackbeard’s in Fresno, reported The Fresno Bee.

The Fuego FC plans for a downtown stadium, which didn’t come to fruition, had a price tag of $40 million in 2021. It was also forecast at that time to generate $500,000 in annual tax revenue.