Professional soccer may be headed to Moraga.
The Bay Area community-based professional soccer organization The Town FC announced it is partnering with Saint Mary’s College to launch a professional soccer club based at the school.
The group said in a statement that the partnership “will provide East Bay soccer athletes and fans with an exciting game day atmosphere to take in professional soccer matches in a community-based, affordable, and family-friendly environment.”
The Town FC said it is also committed to supporting the ongoing development of the Saint Mary’s athletic department and its teams and looks forward to working with the college to provide an enhanced stadium experience for its student-athletes and campus community.
“We’re honored for the ability to partner with Saint Mary’s to bring a new pro soccer team to the East Bay region”, said Benno Nagel, CEO of The Town FC. “We look forward to continuing to work with the college and the town of Moraga to ensure that we deliver a truly one of a kind gameday experience for our fans, and for local families throughout the area who want to enjoy soccer and find new opportunities to celebrate community together.”
The Town FC previously collaborated with Saint Mary’s and the town of Moraga to host an MLS NEXT Pro game in August with Quakes 2, the professional reserve team of the San Jose Earthquakes.
The soccer organization said “overwhelming” turnout at the event and the excitement from the community around the event showed the potential for pro soccer at Saint Mary’s.
“This summer, we had a great turnout on campus for the Quakes 2 game, and it showed how our campus and Moraga can support such high-level soccer in an exciting environment,” Saint Mary’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics Mike Matoso said. “We look forward to building on that game and partnering with The Town FC to bring a dedicated pro soccer team to our local community and the entire East Bay region.”
The Town FC said more information is coming, including some announcements to be made in January.