Professional soccer could be coming back to Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — At a recent meeting with Wilmington City Council last week, UNC Chapel Hill professor and entrepreneur Christopher Mumford asked for a lease at Legion Stadium to bring a pro soccer team back to the area.

The USL, the United Soccer League is North America’s largest professional soccer organization and could have a team soon in Wilmington. When asked how the idea got started, Mumford and his partner Dewan Bader thought Wilmington would be the perfect spot for a team.

“We reached out to the USL, and they are the fastest growing league in the U.S and they’re like ‘oh we want to be in Wilmington’ for all the obvious reasons. The history, they know what the fan base is like, and the living is pretty easy in Wilmington so yeah, the league is very supportive of it,” said Mumford.

Mumford says a decision will need to be made by May 31st of this year in order to be ready for the beginning of the 2024 USL season. A new food hall would also be a part of the plans near the stadium as well.