ROGERS, Ark. — Northwest Arkansas will soon officially be the home of both a men's and women's professional soccer team. They will play in a 5,000+ seat stadium planned to be developed in the Pinnacle Hills district of Rogers.
On Wednesday, July 12, USL Arkansas co-founders Chris Martinovic and Warren Smith made the announcement at the site where the teams are projected to practice and play by the 2026 season.
The addition of a professional soccer team to NWA has been buzzed about for years, with residents searching for a wider local sports community.
The men's team will be a part of the United Soccer League Championship (USL), which is said to have over 30 clubs in its membership. And in 2024, the USL Super League will have its inaugural season with 10-12 women's soccer teams, with plans for the NWA women's team to join in 2026.
Where will the teams play?
A 5,000+ seat stadium is in the planning process of being developed on the corner of Bellview Road and S 41st Street in the Pinnacle Hills area of Rogers off of New Hope.
Officials with USL Arkansas say they are partnering with local community leaders and authorities to develop the stadium, with a plan to reach out directly to future fans about suggestions and thoughts on what they want out of a match-day experience.
"Our goal is to actually put a stadium where you can make a difference," Smith said. "There's so much opportunity in the area, we can just be one extra lever to help drive that excitement and emotion on game nights."
When will the games start?
The goal is to begin playing before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in the U.S., USL Arkansas says. For the women's team (in the USL Super League), the fall of the same year is the projected start for play.
Officials with USL Arkansas still need to have a public hearing with the City of Rogers to ask for a zone change and start the process of building the stadium.
They expect sometime in early 2024 to have approvals of design concepts.
What is USL?
Men's
The USL Arkansas men's team will be a part of the USL Championship division, which is comprised of men's division two players, right under the Major League Soccer league run by the United States Soccer Federation.
While USL isn't affiliated with MLS, it's described as "one rung below", but still "really high-quality soccer" by co-founder Warren Smith.
There are more than 30 clubs across the U.S. that are in the USL Championship division.
Women's
The USL Super League is where the USL Arkansas women's team will compete. According to its website, the USL Super League is "committed to U.S. Soccer’s Division One standards." The league says it's positioned as a youth-to-pro pathway.
The women's league will begin in 2024, with expectations for the NWA team to start competing in the league around 2026.
What will be the names of the teams?
"We want to hear from you! There are so many things that make our region great, and we want to involve the community as we develop our club's name, colors, and branding," USL Arkansas said in a press release.
The team is accepting feedback on its website. USL Arkansas can be found on social media as @USLArkansas on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
"While we are building a club, our aim is to build a symbol of unity for Northwest Arkansas," Martinovic said. "That's only possible by listening and will be instrumental in shaping the identity of our team.”
What's the anticipated economic impact for the area?
Independent analysis shows a "significant" economic impact associated with the introduction of USL clubs — estimated between $50 million to $200 million depending on the market. Hundreds of jobs will also be created upon the establishment of USL Arkansas. The team plans to study and analyze the impact once the stadium is complete and teams are operating.
"As we know, with Northwest Arkansas, with 38 people a day moving here, we want to bring more people and want to keep them here," Martinovic said.
Who are the co-owners?
The co-founders of USL Arkansas are Chris Martinovic and Warren Smith.
Martinovic, a former soccer player, first moved to the Northwest Arkansas area back in 2007 as a supplier for Walmart and was only supposed to stay for 18 months "and we just fell in love."
"As a former player, I am delighted to bring professional soccer to Northwest Arkansas, a region that so richly deserves it," said Chris Martinovic. "I have seen firsthand the power of soccer in bringing communities together, and I am excited about the positive impact this club will have on our region."
Smith is described in the USL Arkansas press release as a seasoned professional in the sports industry.
“I have been visiting my family here for 33 years and have watched how this community punches above its weight class creating a dynamic place to live, work, and play," said Warren Smith. "We look forward to the beautiful game adding to that while working with local authorities, community leaders, and most importantly, the fans, to create a soccer club that reflects the unique spirit of this community and that makes us all proud."
Chris Martiovic, Co-Founder of USL Arkansas made it a point to recognize Collin Whitehead at the press conference on Wednesday.
“I started discussing this with Colin when he was at the University of Arkansas. He heard a rumor about what I was starting to do here, and he took the initiative” said Markovic.
Whitehead created the USL to Northwest Arkansas Facebook group 3 years ago. He started the group to advocate for the project as well as get the community excited.
“We don't really have a lot here that unites this area. We have the Razorbacks, but they’re more about the state. This will be a team that’s focused on NWA.” said Whitehead.
After the group gained followers, USL Arkansas organizers reached out to Whitehead and let him get involved.
“Over the past couple of years, anytime they had like a little thing for me to post, I'd do it,” said Whitehead.
On the day of the press conference, Whitehead could finally share the announcement everyone was waiting for.
“Now that it's actually out there, seeing everyone's reaction, along with all the media coverage was special,” said Whitehead.
The Facebook group’s new name is now USL Arkansas Supporters Group. They will now work to create a fan section at games.
“Like a student section at Razorback games ... The next big step is rallying the whole NWA soccer community,” said Whitehead.
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