It’s official: Hammerheads will compete in PDL in 2017, not USL

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — What’s long been rumored and reported is now official: The Wilmington Hammerheads are changing leagues.

The Premier Development League (PDL) announced today the league has awarded a franchise to Wilmington Hammerheads FC, which will begin competing in the 2017 regular season. According to a news release, the PDL franchise will be owned by George Altirs, while the day-to-day operations of the team will be overseen locally by the Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC Board of Directors.

“The PDL is excited about the expansion of Wilmington Hammerheads FC as the league’s newest franchise,” PDL Director Todd Eason said in a statement. “The Hammerheads have built a strong following throughout their history in the USL. For the better part of two decades, the Wilmington community has enjoyed a top-caliber soccer franchise, and without question, the future PDL players for the Hammerheads will experience a professional-level culture. We’re thrilled to see the team provide that platform for development for high-level, college-aged players starting in 2017.”

It’s been rumored for months that the Hammerheads, who started playing in Wilmington in 1996, would leave the United Soccer League (USL).

“There has been an important emphasis on keeping competitive soccer and the Hammerheads in Wilmington,” Altirs said in a news release. “This is the community’s team, and I am happy that it is not going anywhere. Given the landscape, this league transition is the best decision for the club.”

While the team will continue playing in the Port City, the move to the PDL means there will no longer be a professional sports franchise in Wilmington. The PDL is similar to the Coastal Plain League, the baseball league that includes the Wilmington Sharks. Both leagues field teams of college players in the summer between collegiate seasons.

The Hammerheads will become the third PDL team in North Carolina. The join the Charlotte Eagles and the Greensboro-based Carolina Dynamo.