By 2020, Nebraskans will have a new sports team to root for, as on May 1, the United Soccer League (USL) announced its plans to create a new expansion team in the Papillion area of Omaha. This news comes roughly a year after the establishment of the once Lincoln-based, now Omaha based, Nebraska Bugeaters FC semi-pro soccer team.

However, the future of the Omaha-based USL team brings more soccer fan anticipation than the Bugeaters once did. This is due to the fact that the USL is a professional league, while the Bugeaters play in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), a U.S. semi-pro league. This means that Nebraska will be getting its first professional soccer team. However, don’t be mistaken; this is not a part of Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest division in America. (A breakdown of the U.S. soccer leagues is listed at the bottom.)

Currently, the team does not have a name, colors or logo and will wait to announce that information later this year after receiving feedback from the community. However, executives wish for the identity of the team to represent the area, its people and possibly its history too.

The USL awarded the expansion franchise to Alliance Omaha Soccer Holdings and its owner, Gary Green, who also owns the Omaha Storm Chasers. In fact, the Storm Chasers will share many ties to the new soccer team, having not only the same owner but the same president and general manager, Martie Cordaro. They will also share the same playing complex at Werner Park.

The up-and-coming addition is a culmination of growth for soccer both nationally and domestically. In just the past few years, multiple leagues have been created with an even longer list of newly-founded teams. In Nebraska, this marks the second time in two years a soccer team was established. All this expansion of soccer in the U.S. is definitely one to keep an eye on as the sport has seen one of the highest increases in viewership recently, while other sports like football and baseball continue to decline. The new Omaha USL team will most likely make its franchise debut in early spring in 2020.

US Soccer League Tiers

Professional

• MLS

• USL Championship

• USL League One (new Omaha Team)

• National Independent Soccer Association

Semi-Pro

• USL League Two

• National Premier Soccer League

• USPL (Bugeaters FC)