NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — For several months, leaders with the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District have been talking about bringing professional soccer to New Orleans, and now, in a city wild about sports, the United Soccer League has made the announcement that it is targeting the Big Easy for its next team.
If brought to New Orleans, the team would share The Shrine on Airline, also known as the Gold Mine on Airline, with the NOLA Rugby team to help maximize use of the 10,000-seat stadium.
In an interview with WGNO, Superdome Commission Chairman Kyle France said a new professional team would boost both community involvement and the local economy.
“They’re looking very seriously at coming to the New Orleans metro area – they want to come here,” France explained. “Bringing a soccer team in will help us maximize more calendar days in the year, it would bring more tax dollars to the metro New Orleans area, to the restaurants, hotels, motels,”
Choosing New Orleans could mean bringing a fanbase like no other to the USL.
“The demographics, our market studies tell us our population base out in the suburban area are really good for soccer,” France added.
“I would totally go to the games just for the commodity and passion that goes along with a great soccer game – there’s nothing that matches it,” Metairie local Paul Miller told WGNO. “There’s always just the most insane brotherly love and sisterly love happening in the stands.”
Talks are in the works to bring a soccer team to NOLA by 2025, however, it’s not official yet if a team is coming to town. France says it’s basically all down to the USL.
