Fort Wayne FC joins USL League Two; aims for League One in 2023

Fort Wayne FC will join USL League Two for the 2021 and 2022 seasons before jumping to USL League One in 2023, the club announced Wednesday.

The Indiana-based expansion team, which planned to debut in the NPSL this year prior to the pandemic forcing the season’s cancelation, boasts an ownership group that includes former U.S. international and Fort Wayne native DaMarcus Beasley.

“Being involved with a group to bring to professional soccer to my hometown is truly a dream come true,” Beasley said in a release. “I’m extremely excited to get started with this new challenge and to work side by side with the Fort Wayne community.”

Fort Wayne FC will call Bishop Dwenger High School’s Shields Field its home pitch in 2021. The club intends to provide a developmental pipeline for talented young players with professional aspirations in northeast Indiana.

“We are very excited to be joining the USL, starting with our inaugural season in 2021,” team president Dr. Erik Magner said. “We believe that the USL is a great partner for us and recognizes and supports our plans to enter the professional ranks.”

At the end of the 2018 season, the USL restructured and rebranded in the same vein as the English football system, headed by the USL Championship — officially the second tier of the American pyramid — with USL League One and USL League Two beneath it. Both the Championship and League One are professional leagues, while League Two remains amateur.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Fort Wayne FC to the USL family,” USL president Jake Edwards added. “With a quality leadership group in place, we’re confident that the club will be a tremendous community asset in League Two while building the foundation for future success as a professional club in League One.”

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