Citing the move to professional soccer and the construction of a new stadium, The Journal Gazette’s sports staff selected Fort Wayne Football Club as the “Sports Story of the Year” in Northeast Indiana.
The announcement, made today in the Fort Wayne newspaper’s online and print editions, can be read on its website.
In making its selection, the newspaper’s staff considered: Fort Wayne FC’s announcement in February it was moving to USL League One; the beginning of construction on Fort Wayne FC Park; and the club’s success in its final USL League Two season, which included winning a third straight division title and reaching the conference semifinals.
Fort Wayne FC’s first home match in professional soccer will be May 2 against the Charlotte Independence, after Fort Wayne FC begins its season with five matches on the road. Season tickets are on sale now to see Fort Wayne FC play in the largest outdoor venue in Northeast Indiana, with capacity of over 9,000. The stadium construction is 100% privately funded.
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a 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 division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
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.