Green Bay Pursuing Pro Soccer Team
City working with USL as Milwaukee effort remains delayed.
City of Green Bay officials take a photo with Justin Papadakis of the United Soccer League, fourth from the right, during a Nov. 11 City Council meeting. Photo courtesy of the city of Green Bay
As home to the all-time winningest team in the NFL, Green Bay has long had a national reputation as a football town. Now, city leaders hope to bring a different kind of professional football to Titletown.
Earlier this month, the city entered into an agreement with the United Soccer League, or USL, to explore bringing men’s and women’s professional soccer to Green Bay.
The Green Bay City Council approved the agreement on Nov. 11. The deal prohibits the United Soccer League from pursuing a team anywhere else in Brown, Outagamie, Manitowoc or Winnebago counties. It also prohibits the city from soliciting proposals from soccer leagues that are not the USL.
That “exclusivity period” runs through September 2026, but could be extended until September 2027, the agreement states.
Justin Papadakis, chief real estate officer and deputy CEO of the United Soccer League, told the city council the league would work with the city to identify stadium sites and potential investors, and host events to gather community input. He also said a USL team in Green Bay would be privately held, and the league prefers teams be locally owned.
Under the agreement, the USL would assume all pre-development, soccer-related costs. According to the league, a stadium would need to have a minimum seating capacity of 5,000 with the ability for future expansion.
Papadakis said he appreciates Green Bay’s dedication to its sports team, pointing to the city’s flag, which displays the Green Bay Packers’ “G” logo. He said that spirit closely aligns with the USL’s goal of creating “community-driven clubs.”
“The city that embodies that the most in the United States is here in Green Bay,” Papadakis said. “To have the opportunity to do that in Green Bay is extremely meaningful, and one that we are excited to put time, energy and money into seeing if we can find the right solution.”
While the USL’s agreement with the city bars it from locating teams in four northeastern Wisconsin counties, it doesn’t bar the league from looking for opportunities in other regions of the state.
The USL has also pursued bringing a team to Milwaukee. In 2023, Milwaukee Pro Soccer announced plans to begin play in the United Soccer League in 2026, a year later than initially planned.
But the parcel of land that would host the stadium is still empty, WITI-TV reported earlier this month. Milwaukee Pro Soccer and the United Soccer League did not respond to requests for comment about a soccer team in Milwaukee.
While the future of professional soccer in Milwaukee is unclear, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich said he welcomes a potential USL team in the state’s largest city. He said the opportunity for “regional rivalries” within Wisconsin is another thing that intrigued the USL about Green Bay.
Madison already has a men’s USL team and will have a women’s team in 2026.
“The idea of a Green Bay versus Madison or Green Bay versus Milwaukee is really attractive to them based on the model that they’ve built out in other areas,” Genrich said. “And (it’s) something that’s really interesting to us, too.”
Feedback from residents about possible USL teams has been mostly positive so far, Genrich said.
“What’s so attractive for us is recognizing how sports-oriented development has played out in other communities around the country, especially when located in a downtown environment,” he said. “That’s what we would love to see, a larger entertainment district with restaurants, hotels and some other associated businesses.”
Green Bay hopes to bring pro soccer team to Titletown was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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