TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Last week, our own Capital City Correspondent Matt Hoffman reported on Tallahassee Mayor John Daly\u2019s desire to bring professional hockey and women\u2019s soccer to town.<\/p>\n
NEW: Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey wants to bring back the Tiger Sharks, a minor league hockey team that used to be in the city. <\/p>\n
He also wants a minor league women\u2019s soccer team.<\/p>\n
Dailey said that\u2019s a way to diversify the local economy in the face of property tax reform.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Matt Hoffmann (@ByMattHoffmann) October 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Over the summer, WCTV\u2019s Taylor Viles documented the community surge to bring the Tiger Sharks back to the ice,<\/a> but as far as the soccer pitch is concerned, the Tallahassee Reckoning are hoping they\u2019re the answer the city is looking for.<\/p>\n There is no \u201coffseason\u201d for a pre-professional club like the Reckoning (or any level for that matter). Staff are currently busy with clinics and on the business end the team has recently raised over $50,000 from community ownership initiatives.<\/p>\n \u201cSimilar to like a Green Bay Packers model and how it creates fandom,\u201d says team owner and CEO Ashlee Fontes, noting that public ownership stakes are no stranger to soccer as well. \u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything better than that, showing up to a game and having a piece of pride that you\u2019re not just a fan in the stands. You\u2019ve got the status of being an owner.\u201d<\/p>\n Fontes is hoping that a strong base in the present can lead to a professional future for Tallahassee, and while things are working behind the scenes, an upfront proof of concept for the Capital City is maybe most important.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t build a house with the roof first, you start with the foundation and the foundation of being able to turn pro is showing proof of concept with a pre-professional team that is Tallahassee Reckoning,\u201d said Fontes of the need for fan support and interest. \u201cSummertime from May to June we have to pack the stands. We have to get 3,000 to 6,000 people in Gene Cox Stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n There are still pieces in need of working out, the Reckoning have interest from three professional leagues, but must decide on the best fit. On top of a metaphorical home, the club would need a physical one as well, scouting sites to build a soccer facility as well as securing an investment team.<\/p>\n Some steps are closer to reality than others, but above all the club is hoping to get the word out on the possibility of pro women\u2019s soccer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re selling cassette tapes out of the trunk of our car. We haven\u2019t gone mainstream yet, we don\u2019t have that big record deal yet,\u201d joked Fontes. \u201cWe have the best product in the region with the players we\u2019re putting on the field for pre professional and even if you don\u2019t love soccer you\u2019re going to love a great time.\u201d <\/p>\n Hoping that \u201crecord deal\u201d can help women\u2019s soccer hit the top of the charts in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Tallahassee Reckoning is holding a poll to let fans vote on its uniforms<\/a> for the 2026 season<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n