WILMINGTON, N.C. — Professional soccer left Wilmington years ago, but now a there is a renaissance for the sport happening in the area that includes a team, stadium and more.
What You Need To Know
The Wilmington Hammerheads were once the city's soccer team
Now, there are plans to establish a new team and stadium for the sport
Former Hammerhead player Dewan Bader has been working to get a team and venue together
Soccer is the fourth most popular sport in the United States, following football, basketball and baseball. The sport is rapidly growing, and as popularity increases, professional team growth has followed.
Six years ago was the last time professional soccer was played in Legion Stadium. That last team was the Wilmington Hammerheads.
Dewan Bader was one of the many players that had gone through the Hammerhead program. He had made it to the final four with the N.C. State Wolfpack and played 10 years professionally. After his playing career ended, he continued coaching at top levels, including the U18 Men’s National Team.
“The game’s been very good to me,” Bader said.
With the Wilmington Hammerheads gone, Bader and others in communities around the state have come together to bring professional soccer back to the area.
“When people start to ask where were the great spot for a pro team be in North Carolina, Wilmington was always the first answer I came up with,” Bader said.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force, these conversations came about.
“I was taking my senior a course, and a lot of that was based on the professional model higher level is kind of what would your ultimate team look like from a technical side, for me it’s always been about player development,” Bader said. This idea and those conversations led to taking steps to making the vision happen.
With the new team, there will be a new venue to play. But this venue, Bader describes as “creating our own little city, if you will, that will have people around and just a positive, like a really positive vibe.”
There will be a 4,500 seat stadium, food hall, beer garden, high density apartments and condos, as well as many other food and retail options.
Bringing in the team will also create a youth-to-pro soccer system that Bader says “will set things up so that the community knows that if you’re playing soccer in Wilmington as a youth player you have a pro team, not only to support but to eventually make at some point.”
The group has taken multiple steps to reach the 2024 goal. This includes an expansion agreement with the USL that has been signed, meaning they have the right to a franchise in Wilmington. The next steps before construction are finalizing an ownership group, settling a franchise agreement and getting a team name and brand.
More information can be found at the group's website here.