\u201cI want to be a part of putting together a soccer team and a soccer stadium because I know the impact that will have on the future of our city, long after I\u2019m gone as mayor,\u201d Dyer said in an interview with GV Wire.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know in Fresno soccer is well supported, and I am absolutely confident we\u2019re going to have sellouts every single night.\u201d \u2014 Mayor Jerry Dyer<\/p>\n Dyer\u2019s recent soccer advocacy included a speech to the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all know in Fresno soccer is well supported, and I am absolutely confident we\u2019re going to have sellouts every single night,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n Dyer called the letter a chance to perform due diligence. He said the USL plans to hold community meetings to learn more about Fresno and what the public wants in a soccer team.<\/p>\n He said soccer crowds have the potential to generate more revenue than the Fresno Grizzlies minor league baseball team.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime you have a USL soccer team, the number of people who show up for those games is significant. In fact, it\u2019s not uncommon for them to sell out almost all of their games. The fan base, I think, is what separates them from what we\u2019ve seen here with the Grizzlies,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n The USL is also bullish on Fresno.<\/p>\n \u201cFresno is at an important moment in its growth, with clear momentum around downtown investment and long-term planning. The city\u2019s deliberate focus on revitalizing its urban core creates an opportunity for professional soccer to be part of something bigger \u2014 contributing to the activity and sense of community that make a downtown thrive,\u201d said Justin Papadakis, USL deputy chief executive officer and chief real estate officer.<\/p>\n The obvious questions remain unanswered: Who would own the team and who would pay for the stadium?<\/p>\n Where Will the Stadium Be?<\/p>\n Fresno has been a USL destination in the past, but stadium issues drove the most recent franchise to Monterey.<\/p>\n The USL is equivalent to minor league baseball \u2014 a developmental league for Major League Soccer. Fresno FC, also known as the Foxes, played at Chukchansi Park from 2018 to 2019 before moving to Monterey.<\/p>\n A converted baseball stadium was not the answer. City officials estimated it cost $100,000 to convert the baseball field to soccer and back.<\/p>\n The USL-Fresno memo calls for work to develop a 7,000-seat stadium. The stadium would have 5,000 fixed seats, with expansion for more, Dyer said. If the city or a private developer builds it, the USL will come.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe a new venue and professional men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams can complement that vision, and we look forward to working with Mayor Jerry Dyer and the city of Fresno to explore how professional soccer can align with the city\u2019s future,\u201d Papadakis said.<\/p>\n Dyer said the stadium would be either downtown or in Chinatown on city-owned property. He is not yet releasing a specific location.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than likely, the city will own the land and there will be some type of shared ownership of the stadium,\u201d Dyer said. \u201cThe USL is just as interested in revitalizing downtowns as it is in bringing soccer to a city.\u201d<\/p>\n Any deal made has to be financially sound, Dyer said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever we do as a city, we\u2019re going to minimize the liability the city will incur financially. But we also know we have to share risk in this. There is no doubt there will be shared ownership of some sort and shared revenue,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n Paying for a New Stadium<\/p>\n Dyer said it is \u201cpremature\u201d to talk about how much the city is willing to spend. He estimated it would take about $50 million to build a stadium.<\/p>\n Dyer said financial arrangements will also be discussed.<\/p>\n \u201cWould it be a shared partnership in ownership of the stadium? How would the proceeds be distributed \u2014 parking revenue and similar sources? Are there outside equity firms? We know there are, and that some have already expressed interest in investing,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n Councilmember Miguel Arias, who represents the downtown and Chinatown area, said city financing options could mirror those used to build Chukchansi Park \u2014 which opened in 2002 as Grizzly Stadium amid much debate.<\/p>\n He agreed that professional soccer needs its own stadium. However,\u00a0Arias also said there are limits on how much the city can spend.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to adopt balanced budgets, we have limited bonding capacity, but all of that will be part of the consideration once we know what the ownership group and the league are going to do on their part,\u201d Arias said.<\/p>\n Arias said he would be willing to spend as much as the city did on Chukchansi Park \u2014 a $40 million bond over 30 years that is still being paid off.<\/p>\n While the city is near that limit with obligations for infrastructure projects \u2014 street paving, a 911 dispatch center, and a new police headquarters, among others \u2014 Dyer said some obligations will soon come off the rolls, freeing up money.<\/p>\n Councilmember Nick Richardson said he is willing to spend public money on a stadium, but it is not his top priority.<\/p>\n \u201cAs long as it\u2019s not more than we\u2019re spending on infrastructure improvements, I think that\u2019s where the sweet spot is,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cInfrastructure needs to be our priority.\u201d<\/p>\n Could Sarasota Owners Own Fresno Team?<\/p>\n The top level in the USL \u2014 comparable to Triple-A baseball \u2014 is known as the USL Championship, with 24 teams and two expansion markets planned.<\/p>\n The letter of intent obligates the USL to deal in good faith only with the city for a possible relocated or expansion team. The city also agreed not to solicit a soccer stadium from a non-USL team. The USL will bear all pre-development costs, including studies and projections.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incumbent upon the league to then go out, find the team and they will have an agreement with that team, and so for us, it\u2019s really about the stadium and partnering with the USL,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n Dyer floated the idea of the owners of the Sarasota Paradise, a USL League One club \u2014 comparable to Double-A minor league baseball \u2014 owning the Fresno team.<\/p>\n The Paradise are owned by Marco Assis, CEO of Overland Park, Kansas-based interpreting firm Propio Language Services, and Marcus Walfridson, a veteran soccer official originally from Sweden. Owners can operate more than one team.<\/p>\n Dyer said Walfridson has already met in Fresno and that the Sarasota group was \u201cvery interested.\u201d The team and the city had a Jan. 20 Zoom meeting scheduled.<\/p>\n Walfridson is pairing with Adam Smith \u2014 former head coach with both Fresno FC and the Fuego\u2014 to form Fresno Pro Soccer LLC. Smith said the goal is to put a local ownership group together.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe in this community and put something together that will last,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n Dyer said the soccer stadium would serve professional teams, as well as youth clubs, football games, and non-sports events such as concerts.<\/p>\n Dyer Envisions Soccer as Economic Hub<\/p>\n Dyer said the investment could be worth the risk, potentially generating sales tax revenue, parking income, and jobs.<\/p>\n \u201cSoccer stadiums are really an economic hub for downtowns, and they serve to revitalize the area around them,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n That was the intention behind Chukchansi Park when it opened in 2002.<\/p>\n \u201cTo some degree, Chukchansi Park stimulated economic growth in the area. But soccer will do so tenfold,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n Dyer also cited figures estimating that each soccer match could generate $1.5 million to $3 million in economic benefit to the city. Councilmember Annalisa Perea cited the same figures at a Jan. 13 news conference.<\/p>\n Perea\u2019s office said the numbers are not from a Fresno-specific study, but \u201cconservative estimates based on standard economic modeling<\/a> and what we\u2019ve seen in other cities. They\u2019re based on approximate spending patterns from sports and tourism events, attendance expectations, and standard economic multipliers used nationwide by public agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n The figures are based on 15 matches with attendance of at least 8,000, spending at least $100 per game. The councilmember used a multiplier effect between 1.5 and 1.8.<\/p>\n A New York Times story<\/a> casted doubts about the true benefit to communities.<\/p>\n Fan Club President Excited<\/p>\n Edward Stewart is president of the Fresno Fire Squad, a soccer fan club that supported the Fuego, Fresno FC, and soccer in general. The group once boasted 250 members.<\/p>\n He called Fresno\u2019s pursuit of a USL team \u201ca great idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFans are very hesitant, very cautious because of teams not making it in Fresno in the past. A lot of people are taking a wait-and-see approach to this new venture,\u201d Stewart said.<\/p>\n He said he believes Fresno can fill a 5,000-seat stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the product is good, I think Fresno has shown it will turn out,\u201d Stewart said. He recalled attendance around 4,000 for the Fuego and Foxes.<\/p>\n Fans, Stewart said, would gather at places like Tioga Sequoia, across the street from Chukchansi Park, before and after games.<\/p>\n Stewart said he is hesitant about using taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n \u201cI would prefer for it not to be publicly funded. If the city can give them good deals on land and other incentives, that\u2019s great. But what we\u2019ve seen with Chukchansi is that the public is still essentially on the bill for that. I would hate to see that happen again,\u201d Stewart said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769445067_52_Fresno-Mayor-Jerry-Dyer-delivers-a-state-of-the-city-like-speech-at-the-Jan.-21-2026-Fresno-Area-His.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Marcus-Walfridson-headshot-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Marcus Walfridson<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Marco-Assis-headshot-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Marco Assis<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The-Fresno-Fire-Squad-cheers-for-its-favorite-Fresno-soccer-teams-1024x723.jpg\")
<\/a>The Fresno Fire Squad cheers for its favorite Fresno soccer teams. (Special to GV Wire)