Buffalo Pro Soccer

File:War Memorial Stadium Rockpile.JPG, former home of the Buffalo White Eagles and Buffalo Blazers]]

Several amateur teams from Buffalo have participated in the U.S. Open Cup.{{cite web | last=Hakala | first=Josh | title=Sahara Gunners FC getting assist from Buffalo Bills in goal of bringing pro soccer to Queen City | website=TheCup.us | date=September 30, 2023 | url=https://thecup.us/2023/09/30/sahara-gunners-fc-getting-assist-from-buffalo-bills-in-goal-of-bringing-pro-soccer-to-queen-city/ | access-date=May 3, 2025}} These teams include the Buffalo Corinthians (1913–14),{{cite web | last=Hakala | first=Josh | title=1913-1914 National Challenge Cup Results | website=TheCup.us | date=January 6, 2003 | url=https://thecup.us/2003/01/06/1914-national-challenge-cup-results/ | access-date=May 2, 2025}} Buffalo Hungarian SC (1928–29, 1939–40),{{cite web | last=Nolan | first=Chuck Jr. | title=1929 National Challenge Cup Results | website=TheCup.us | date=January 27, 2009 | url=https://thecup.us/2009/01/27/1929-national-challenge-cup-results/ | access-date=May 3, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Hakala | first=Josh | title=1940 National Challenge Cup Results | website=TheCup.us | date=January 10, 2009 | url=https://thecup.us/2009/01/10/1940-national-challenge-cup-results/ | access-date=May 2, 2025}} Buffalo German American SC (1932, 1939–40, 1948),{{cite web | title=1932 National Challenge Cup Results | website=TheCup.us | date=January 27, 2009 | url=https://thecup.us/2009/01/27/1932-national-challenge-cup-results/ | access-date=May 3, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Hakala | first=Josh | title=1948 US Open Cup results | website=TheCup.us | date=January 26, 2009 | url=https://thecup.us/2009/01/26/1948-us-open-cup-results/ | access-date=May 2, 2025}} Buffalo City GOP (1941),{{cite web | last=Hakala | first=Josh | title=1941 National Challenge Cup Results | website=TheCup.us | date=January 10, 2009 | url=https://thecup.us/2009/01/10/1941-national-challenge-cup-results/ | access-date=May 2, 2025}} and Simon Pure SC (1968).{{cite web | last=Hakala | first=Josh | title=1968 US Open Cup results | website=TheCup.us | date=January 26, 2009 | url=https://thecup.us/2009/01/26/1968-us-open-cup-results/ | access-date=May 2, 2025}}

Buffalo previously had three professional outdoor soccer teams play within its city limits – the Buffalo White Eagles (1962, ECPSL), Buffalo Blazers (1976–1980, NSL), and Buffalo Storm (1984, USL). The city also hosted two professional indoor soccer teams – the Buffalo Stallions (1979–1984, MISL) and Buffalo Blizzard (1992–2001, NPSL).{{cite web | last=Silagyi | first=Kyle | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer: How Bills-centered town can learn to love the 'other' football | website=Buffalo Bills On SI | date=June 15, 2024 | url=https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/in-depth/buffalo-pro-soccer-usl-championship-ks17 | access-date=April 15, 2025}}

Buffalo Bulls men's soccer coach John Astudillo and former Buffalo Stallions coach Sal DeRosa led an unsuccessful bid to have Buffalo host matches for the 1994 FIFA World Cup at Rich Stadium.{{cite web | title=PANEL IN WORLD CUP BID PLANNING TRIP TO ITALY | website=Buffalo News | date=June 12, 1990 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/panel-in-world-cup-bid-planning-trip-to-italy/article_6ce6e98f-e179-5b80-8d75-e64cb2b0f22c.html | access-date=April 21, 2025}}

Real estate developer John McClutchy acquired the rights to a Buffalo USL Championship expansion franchise in 2019 with aspirations to play at New Highmark Stadium, but he never founded a team.{{cite web | last=Veronica | first=Nick | title=Pro soccer in Buffalo by 2026? New group acquires rights for men’s and women’s pro teams, plans new stadium | website=News 4 Buffalo | date=March 28, 2024 | url=https://www.wivb.com/sports/pro-soccer-in-buffalo-by-2026-new-group-acquires-rights-for-mens-and-womens-pro-teams-plans-new-stadium/ | access-date=April 14, 2025}}

On March 28, 2024, former professional soccer player Peter Marlette Jr. and his newly formed Buffalo Pro Soccer club were awarded the rights to a USL Championship expansion franchise.{{cite web | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer Unveils Plans to Bring Highest Levels of USL Professional Soccer to Buffalo | website=USL Championship | date=March 28, 2024 | url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1305388 | access-date=April 14, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Trunick | first=Keegan | title=New group plans to bring United Soccer League team to Buffalo | website=spectrumlocalnews.com | date=March 28, 2024 | url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/sports/2024/03/28/new-group-plans-to-bring-united-soccer-league-team-to-buffalo | access-date=April 14, 2025}} Marlette Jr. also announced plans to found a women's team of the same name in the USL Super League.{{cite web | last=Wooten | first=Michael | title='I think Buffalo is ready': New plan to bring pro soccer team to Western New York | website=WKBW 7 News Buffalo | date=March 28, 2024 | url=https://www.wkbw.com/sports/i-think-buffalo-is-ready-new-plan-to-bring-pro-soccer-team-to-western-new-york | access-date=April 14, 2025}}{{cite web | last=Joly | first=Aidan | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer president says new stadium site will be safe from past environmental issues | website=News 4 Buffalo | date=April 11, 2025 | url=https://www.wivb.com/sports/buffalo-pro-soccer-usl/buffalo-pro-soccer-president-says-new-stadium-site-will-be-safe-from-past-environmental-issues/ | access-date=April 14, 2025}} As general manager of Union Omaha, Marlette Jr. led that club to USL League One regular season championships in 2021 and 2023, and the playoff championship in 2021.{{cite web | last=Hobbs | first=Morgan | title=UNION OMAHA WINS 2023 USL LEAGUE ONE PLAYERS’ SHIELD | website=Union Omaha | date=October 16, 2023 | url=https://www.unionomaha.com/news/2023/10/15/union-omaha-wins-2023-usl-league-one-players-shield/ | access-date=April 14, 2025}}

Peter Marlette Jr. announced on February 6, 2025 that the club had acquired the youth academy of USL League Two team FC Buffalo, renaming it Buffalo Pro Soccer Academy.{{cite web | last=Schwartz | first=Michael | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer acquires FC Buffalo Youth Academy to help develop future stars | website=WKBW 7 News Buffalo | date=February 6, 2025 | url=https://www.wkbw.com/buffalo-pro-soccer-acquires-fc-buffalo-youth-academy-to-help-develop-future-stars | access-date=April 14, 2025}}{{cite web | title=Academy | website=Buffalo Pro Soccer | date=April 2, 2025 | url=https://www.buffaloprosoccer.com/academy/ | access-date=April 14, 2025}} Canisius Golden Griffins women's soccer coach Ryan Louis was named the academy's U-20 head coach on April 18, 2025.{{cite web | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer Academy on Instagram: "Academy Coaching Announcement: Ryan Louis"| website=Instagram | date=April 18, 2025 | author=Buffalo Pro Soccer| url=https://www.instagram.com/buffalopro_uslacademy/p/DImU2RkyrZU/ | access-date=April 19, 2025}} D'Youville Saints men's soccer coach Sean Hallas was named the academy's U-19 and U-17 head coach on April 19, 2025.{{cite web | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer Academy on Instagram: "Academy Coaching Announcement: Sean Hallas" | website=Instagram | date=April 19, 2025 |author=Buffalo Pro Soccer | url=https://www.instagram.com/buffalopro_uslacademy/p/DIozcLqy0uA/ | access-date=April 20, 2025}}

File:20190609 - 02 - Buffalo News Building.jpg stadium site in downtown Buffalo, New York]]

Three potential stadium sites were considered – the former Buffalo News headquarters in downtown Buffalo, Father Conway Park in the Old First Ward, and the abandoned Medaille Sports Complex in the Lovejoy District.{{cite web | last=Reyes | first=Anthony | title=Downtown site among three being considered for 10K seat soccer stadium for Buffalo Pro Soccer | website=WKBW 7 News Buffalo | date=January 29, 2025 | url=https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/downtown-site-among-three-being-considered-for-10k-seat-soccer-stadium-for-buffalo-pro-soccer | access-date=April 15, 2025}} The Buffalo News site was preferred, which would have cost $40 million and required $20 million in public funding.{{cite web | last=Petro | first=Michael | title=As downtown soccer stadium idea dies, plan shifts to former Medaille sports complex | website=Buffalo News | date=April 12, 2025 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/article_eccb9f1d-0057-4170-a33d-23230f30006d.html | access-date=April 12, 2025}} Father Conway Park would have required environmental remediation, as it was built atop the former Ohio Street Basin that was filled with industrial waste.{{cite web | title=HAS THE ZOO FOUND THE RIGHT HOME? | website=Buffalo News | date=March 12, 1998 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/has-the-zoo-found-the-right-home/article_d814d7f2-8c65-5d73-8fd8-0b8c2895ace1.html | access-date=April 17, 2025}}

On April 11, 2025, Buffalo Pro Soccer held a press conference to announce that Medaille Sports Complex, now renamed Queen City Field, would be expanded to a capacity of 7,600 with $10 million in private funding. It can be further expanded to a capacity of 15,000 should the team earn promotion to USL Division One under the league's new promotion and relegation system.{{cite web | title=Interview with Peter Marlette: Buffalo Pro Soccer Ramps Up For Launch | website=YouTube | date=April 16, 2025 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHqfKNVyH-k | access-date=April 16, 2025}} Politicians in attendance included former congressman Brian Higgins, State Sen. Sean Ryan, acting mayor Christopher Scanlon, Lovejoy District Councilor Bryan J. Bollman, and Erie County Legislator Lawrence Dupre.{{cite web | title=Watch live as Buffalo Pro Soccer makes a major announcement at The Powerhouse. | website=Facebook | author=WKBW 7 News Buffalo| url=https://www.facebook.com/wkbwtv/videos/buffalo-pro-soccer-makes-major-announcement/1425717761926933/ |date=April 11, 2025 | access-date=April 16, 2025}}

The stadium site was criticized due to its distance from downtown Buffalo and past environmental problems. Queen City Field is two miles from downtown Buffalo, and was previously closed in 2021 due to sulfur dioxide emissions from the neighboring PVS Chemicals plant.{{cite web | last=Petro | first=Michael | title=There won't be a downtown soccer stadium. Group picks site on Elk Street | website=Buffalo News | date=April 11, 2025 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/article_91addb7f-b21f-40dc-9044-ca105cb8ed1a.html | access-date=April 16, 2025}}

The venue will reopen in 2026 following modular construction, featuring adjacent practice fields for the team and Buffalo Pro Soccer Academy.{{cite web | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer to Build New Stadium in the City of Buffalo | website=USL Championship | date=April 11, 2025 | url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1336395 | access-date=April 14, 2025}} Season ticket deposits were made available at $20 each, and 800 were purchased during their first weekend on sale.{{cite web | title=Chemical plant opposes plan for $10 million soccer stadium next door|website=The Business Journals | date=April 14, 2025 | last=Tierney |first=Jacob | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2025/04/14/pvs-chemical-opposes-buffalo-pro-soccer-stadium.html | access-date=April 14, 2025}}

Although the team's ownership group is private, $20 million was raised as of April 2025, with Queen City Field owner Jon M. Williams and Buffalo Bills player Reid Ferguson both named as investors.{{cite web | last=Fink | first=Jim | title=No Red Cards anticipated as Buffalo Pro Soccer lands new home | website=Buffalo Toronto Public Media | date=April 11, 2025 | url=https://www.btpm.org/local/2025-04-11/no-red-cards-anticipated-as-buffalo-pro-soccer-lands-new-home | access-date=April 14, 2025}} The team is currently searching for their league-required principal owner who has a minimum net worth of $30 million, and must purchase a 35% stake in the club.

Peter Marlette Jr. revealed the club's head coach has been selected, and is described as, "a recently retired, remarkably famous" Premier League player.{{cite web | last=Joly | first=Aidan | title=Buffalo Pro Soccer president says Elk Street stadium location was best fit | website=News 4 Buffalo | date=April 18, 2025 | url=https://www.wivb.com/sports/buffalo-pro-soccer-usl/buffalo-pro-soccer-president-says-elk-street-stadium-location-was-best-fit/ | access-date=April 18, 2025}}

{{Reflist}}

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• [https://www.buffaloprosoccer.com Official website]

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Category:USL Championship teams

Category:USL Super League teams

Category:Association football clubs established in 2024

Category:Men's soccer clubs in New York (state)

Category:Sports in Buffalo, New York

Category:Women's soccer clubs in New York (state)