What to Know
- Cubs owner Tom Ricketts purchased a majority stake in a soccer team that is expected to begin play in 2020.
- The United Soccer League is considered to be a minor league that feeds players into Major League Soccer.
- The new Chicago team is expected to play in a stadium that will be constructed in Lincoln Park.
Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts has already won a title in baseball, and now he’ll be looking to win another trophy on the soccer pitch.
According to a press release from the United Soccer League, Ricketts has become the majority owner of a new USL expansion club.
“We welcome Tom and the entire Ricketts family to the USL,” CEO Alec Papadakis said. “They bring a proven record of success to the team, and combined with the excellent folks at Sterling Bay, we look forward to their contributions to the future of professional soccer in Chicago.”
That club intends to play its games in a brand new stadium being planned in the Lincoln Park and Bucktown neighborhoods, around two miles south of Wrigley Field.
The stadium, announced as part of Chicago’s bid to lure Amazon’s second headquarters, will feature 20,000 seats and will also be host to concerts and cultural events, according to Sterling Bay. It is expected to open for the 2020 USL season.
The club is currently hosting a contest for fans to choose the team’s name.
