Huntsville City FC set to debut on Sunday, opening a new chapter for Nashville SC

Ian Ayre and Mike Jacobs have orchestrated this launch before: a new MLS club, new stadium and a roster from scratch.

Only this time, it feels different. Nashville SC's CEO and general manager are adding its final piece to a pro player pathway, developmental team Huntsville City FC, who will play its first game on Sunday against Crown Legacy FC (2 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

Ayre and Jacobs, as well as Huntsville City business and soccer operation executives Chad Emerson and Liam Doyle are overseeing the second-tier league MLS Next Pro's first club that's based outside of its parent club's market.

"I think that is maybe the most exciting thing for Nashville Soccer Club," Ayre said. "And then the most exciting thing for Huntsville and the city of Huntsville is their own professional soccer team with its own identity, its own stadium and the benefits, experience and talent from Nashville as part of that."

What to know about Huntsville City FC

Huntsville is set to embark on a 28-game season. Out of the league's 27 teams, eight from each conference will make the playoffs.

Sunday's game against Crown Legacy marks the first of seven consecutive road games for Huntsville, before its home opener at 6,000-seat Joe Davis Stadium on May 19 against Crown Legacy, Charlotte FC's affiliate. Its season finale is at home on Sept. 24 against Chicago Fire II.

Coaching HCFC is former Atlanta United 2 coach Jack Collison. Huntsville's director of soccer operations is Liam Doyle, who played for Swope Park Rangers and Nashville SC in USL, two stops in which Jacobs held a front office role.

HCFC currently has 14 players on its roster, not including Nashville players that will be sent down weekly.

Huntsville City player to watch

Center forward Azaad Liadi has scored five goals in Huntsville's five preseason games, in which HCFC went undefeated. Liadi is an early player to watch to begin the season.

Since 2020, the 6-foot, 24-year-old has played in USL League One, USL Championship, as well as a short-term contract in MLS last spring with D.C. United.

Huntsville-Nashville player movement

Nashville and Huntsville players alike will be logging a copious amount of mileage on I-65 throughout the season.

And on the Sunday or Monday prior to upcoming games each week, Jacobs, Doyle, Collison, as well as Nashville director of player personnel Chance Myers, player development coordinator Rumba Munthali and coach Gary Smith will decide which players go where.

Player transportation is case by case. Jacobs said there are players signed to Nashville contracts like 2022 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick Ahmed Longmire who lives in Huntsville, but could be called to Nashville for games. Then there's offseason acquisition Ben Martino, who along with Elliot Panicco, is based in Nashville. Both goalkeepers have played for HCFC in preseason.

"He's been playing games and as a 20-year-old goalkeeper, you have gotten the chance to play four or five, six games the last two months," Jacobs said of Martino, a Philadelphia Union academy product. "I would say before us having a vehicle like this, that wasn't realistic."

A familiar road to stadium debut

HCFC split its preseason time in Bradenton, Florida at IMG Academy and John Hunt Park in Huntsville, steps away from Joe Davis Stadium. The club's future home is nearing completion on a 14-month, $28.8 million renovation.

Huntsville moving into Joe Davis largely resembles Nashville's transition from Nissan Stadium to Geodis Park. And that process, according to Ayre, draws peak interest from fans some 40 days before the stadium opener concerning merchandise and ticket sales.

"I feel very confident that the season ticket base, relative capacity at Joe Davis, will be very much in line with what we achieved in Nashville.

"And we're seeing that from the business community as well," Ayre said. "We set our own confidential number around what we should expect for partnership revenue from Huntsville, from this type of team and this market. Actually, we already smashed through that, so we feel really good about the plan and about the way it's unfolding."

For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake. Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville SC MLS Next Pro team Huntsville City plays first game Sunday