For decades, Fresno has courted high-level soccer, with highlights and lowlights
When Jerry Dyer walked to the podium at a news conference Tuesday, the Fresno mayor’s shoulders draped with a United Soccer League scarf, he was addressed a question he’s been asked hundreds of times during his five years in office.
“When is Fresno going to have a professional soccer team of its own?”
The answer could be as soon as 2028 — if the city finds a team and the space for a proper venue needed to secure a deal with United Soccer League. Conversations have been happening, as was evident during Tuesday’s announcement, which was attended by a potential team owner and a USL representative . In the past year, those conversations have become actionable, Dyer said.
Hence, the press conference.
But Fresno has been courting high-level soccer for decades and has seen proof of its popularity among fans — along with the realities of what it takes to start and keep a franchise.
Said Fresno Councilmember Miguel Arias: “Fresno is a soccer city. It has been for generations.”
Here’s a look at some benchmark moments, taken mostly from The Fresno Bee archives.
1994: A pre-World Cup exhibition match between the Mexican and Swedish national teams brought a reported crowd of 27,192 to Bulldog Stadium. For comparison, Shakira had 27,835 for her concert in August.
1998: California Millennium Sports announced negotiations to bring a United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues franchise to Fresno. The Fresno Dragons played a handful of matches (including an exhibition against Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS) before halting operations the following year.
2003: Fresno Fuegoplayed its inaugural Premier Development League eason. The league is a training ground for college-aged players wanting pro careers . The team played in Fresno for the next decade-plus.
2006: Soccer comes to Chukchansi Park. The Fuego team was purchased by Fresno Baseball Club, which also owned the Grizzlies (baseball) and Falcons (hockey) at the time. It began hosting games at the downtown stadium. The team had been playing at Fresno Pacific University.
2010: Women’s Premier Soccer League comes to Fresno ... well Clovis. The Clovis Sidekicks held a debut match against the California Storm, a team that included former World Cup soccer star Brandi Chastain.
2012: More than 16,000 fans crowded Chukchansi Park to watch Mexico’s Club América get beat by Jaguares de Chiapas. It was an attendance record; 2,000 more than what showed for a Fresno Grizzlies exhibition against the San Francisco Giants in 2008.
2017: United Soccer League lands in Fresno to much fanfare (and an active and excited fan base). Fresno Football Club (aka, the Foxes, aka Zorros) hired head coach Adam Smith in preparation for its inaugural season. As part of the deal, the long-running Fuego team became a farming outfit for the USL pro franchise.
2019: Fresno FC owners announced the team is relocating to Monterey, after losing nearly $4 million. A major factor in the move was the team’s inability to find a suitable location for a soccer-specific stadium; something needed to satisfy USL bylaws and make money.
2020: Central Valley Fuego Futbol Club brings pro soccer back to Fresno. The team, which is separate from both the original Fresno Fuego and Fresno FC, announced its addition into the USL’s League One and began its own search for a soccer stadium location in Fresno. It hosted its inaugural season two years later.
2023: Former US men’s soccer player Jermaine Jones is hired as head coach for the Fuego. It’s his first head-coach job after an extensive career as a player.
2024: Jones is suspended by the USL for harassment, retaliation and hostility toward players. The news was reported by the Athletic. The team later parts ways with the USL and joins the amateur League for Clubs.
2025: The Ruelas family, which owns the Central Valley Fuego, bought Blackbeard’s Family Entertainment Center, with the intent of razing the property to build a soccer-specific stadium. Instead, they kept the nearly 50-year-old amusement park/arcade open. Plans are set to build a 4,000-seat stadium on an adjacent 5-acre lot.
2026: The city of Fresno announced a one-year exclusivity period with the USL to bring professional soccer downtown. This would include both a men’s and women’s USL team, plus a soccer-specific stadium in which to play. The city hopes to have the team and stadium in place for spring 2028. Former Fresno FC head coach Smith is heading up the search for investors.