DES MOINES, Iowa — The city of Des Moines could soon be home to a professional soccer team.
The United Soccer League is considering Des Moines as a potential home for a future USL Championship level team. But first the team would need somewhere to play.
In a press release sent on Wednesday afternoon, USL President Jake Edwards called Des Moines “an ideal home for a USL” team. But there’s a catch.
“All that’s remaining now is the development of a soccer-specific stadium, and once that occurs, we look forward to delivering a professional soccer club that this community can be proud of,” writes Edwards.
Des Moines is already home to a USL “League Two team”, the Des Moines Menace. The new club would play in the league’s highest level. The Menace’s owner, Kyle Krause, is spearheading efforts to build a new stadium and make the Championship level team a reality.
Krause is leading a campaign called “USL Pro Iowa” to secure funding and build the stadium. The group’s proposal calls for building a 6,000 seat soccer-specific stadium. The group hasn’t put an estimate on the cost of that stadium.
USL Pro Iowa estimates a professional soccer team would bring in $9.9 million in spending annually in central Iowa.
