Fort Wayne Football Club is energized by the response from Northeast Indiana soccer fans less than three weeks into the club accepting season ticket deposits for the 2026 season.
For just $25 per ticket, fans can reserve their place in line for tickets when the club moves up to the professional level of USL League One and begins play at Fort Wayne FC Park, the new state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium being built at Bass Road and I-69.
Season tickets in 2026 will cost as little as $300 per tickets, with the club set to announce full pricing options in the very near future.
What does the move to USL League One mean?
USL League One is a Division III professional soccer league and developmental platform for USL Championship, and USL League One consists of a fully professional environment for clubs, players and communities.
USL is the United Soccer League, North American’s largest professional soccer organization, offering a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for men and women under one ecosystem.
Fort Wayne Football Club, which began play in USL League Two in 2021, had much success at that level – winning Valley Division Championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and reaching the Central Conference Semifinals in 2024 and 2025. Over the last three seasons, Fort Wayne Football Club racked up an impressive record of 29-7-5 and was one of only four clubs among USL League Two’s 143 to win three straight division title. USL League Two is a pre-professional bridge for amateur players looking to find a spot in the professional ranks, and most of the players who were with Fort Wayne Football Club came from the collegiate ranks.
USL League One is a fully professional league that began play in 2019. Fort Wayne Football Club will be one of 21 teams in the league next year, when the regular season is expected to run from March to October – a big change from this season when the schedule spanned only from May to July. By joining USL League One, Fort Wayne Football Club will join the TinCaps baseball team and Komets hockey team as the only professional sports franchises in Fort Wayne.
How many matches will there be in 2026?
That hasn’t yet been determined by USL League One, but but as a point of reference: Teams are playing 34 regular-season matches this season. And those don’t include matches in the Jägermeister Cup or friendlies.
The Jägermeister Cup is open to teams in USL League One and USL Championship, and it will give Fort Wayne Football Club opportunities to potentially play exciting regional opponents such as Indy Eleven and Detroit City FC.
While the format for the 2026 USL League One playoffs hasn’t yet been determined, this season eight teams will participate and the final will be held in November.
Which teams will be in USL League One in 2026?
Fort Wayne Football Club will be one of 21 franchises in USL League One next year.
USL League One will have clubs as far east as Portland, Maine, as far west as Eugene, Oregon, as far south as Naples, Florida, and as far north as Spokane, Washington.
The closest teams to Fort Wayne will be in Madison, Wisconsin (308 miles); Knoxville, Tennessee (428 miles); Chattanooga, Tennessee (539 miles); Charlotte, North Carolina (584 miles); and Omaha, Nebraska (613 miles), meaning there will be a lot of airplane travel in the club’s future.
Other expansion teams will include Athletic Club Boise, Corpus Christi FC, Fort Lauderdale United FC, New York Cosmos, Sarasota Paradise and a club in Eugene.
What is the promotion/relegation system?
USL will launch a Division One tier of soccer in 2027, establishing a fully integrated three-tiered system of soccer, and Fort Wayne Football Club will play at the third tier. Following the launch of USL Division One, USL teams will be able to earn promotion to a higher division or face relegation to a lower one based on performance.
Promotion and relegation is the standard in soccer leagues worldwide, from the English Premier League to La Liga and beyond. This system will strengthen USL’s connection to the global game, making it more appealing for international players, fans and investors. It will also give U.S. clubs a structure that fosters ambition and competitiveness.
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is moving to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026. The club is building a new state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won Valley Division championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.
