United Soccer League club coming to Jacksonville with ownership group that includes Tim Tebow

An ownership group that includes Jacksonville’s own Tim Tebow has acquired the rights to bring a United Soccer League Championship expansion franchise to town, the USL announced Tuesday.

USL said in a release on its website that the club, owned by JAXUSL, will be the first in Northeast Florida to feature both men’s and women’s professional soccer. The team is set to kick off in 2025.

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JAXUSL will also be partnering with St. Johns County’s Florida Elite Soccer Academy, which has more than 10,000 members throughout Northeast Florida and fields pre-professional teams in USL League Two and USL W League.

USL said Jacksonville’s expansion club will be among the first in the United States to offer a complete pathway from youth to pro for men and women.

Read: Jaguars trade WR Laviska Shenault to Panthers for ‘undisclosed draft compensation’

The USL Championship said it currently features 27 professional, community-driven clubs across the United States with plans to add expansion teams in Iowa, Rhode Island, Louisiana and more. The USL Super League will bring professional women’s soccer to new markets and create opportunities for women on and off the field.

The next order of business for JAXUSL will be finding a venue for home games that holds 15,000 seats, as well as a training facility.

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JAXUSL lead investor Ricky Caplin, one of Northeast Florida’s leading entrepreneurs and principal of the Caplin Ventures, said the following about the new club in the USL’s news release:

“Our region has a rich and storied tradition of sporting excellence, from the gridiron to the island green and beyond. Our local teams and athletes have long been among the best, and our fans are some of the most passionate in the nation. Our community is made up of a diverse and international citizenry, which has a deep appreciation for the game of soccer. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Tim, Steve and Tony to bring the USL to our wonderful First Coast community and we look forward to identifying the right location, facilities and partners to make this dream a reality.”

Joining Caplin and Tebow in JAXUSL are experienced professional soccer executive Steve Livingstone and local community innovator Tony Allegretti. Livingstone and Allegretti will oversee the day-to-day operations of JAXUSL in establishing and growing the USL expansion club.

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Tebow said the following in the release:

“This is a fantastic and exciting development for our community here on the First Coast. I’m thrilled to be part of the new ownership group that seeks to bring some incredible pro teams and world-class facilities to our area that will be accessible to the whole community. I’d like to thank Ricky, Steve and Tony for presenting this opportunity, which I look forward to being directly involved in, and with my Foundation.”

Soccer fans across Northeast Florida will be invited to help develop the club’s brand through community consultation, town halls and a naming competition. Fans can register their interest in the club now by securing a season ticket deposit for $25 at the club’s official website, www.jaxusl.com.

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