Windsor, Colorado will be joining the professional soccer scene. United Soccer League One, the third tier in the US soccer pyramid below MLS and the USL Championship, announced today that Northern Colorado FC will be joining the league.

They are expecting to start play in time for the 2022 season. The team is majority-owned by the Katofsky family who are also known for the former Orem Owlz, now the Northern Colorado Owlz in Minor League Baseball. The Katofsky family also are co-owners of the Future Legends Sports Complex, which is where NoCoFC will be playing.

“Building Future Legends Complex, with the goal of sports for all ages and skill levels, has been a dream of mine for decades. Northern Colorado FC is a huge part of that dream, showcasing professional soccer and making it accessible,” said Northern Colorado FC owner and Future Legends CEO Jeff Katofsky. “We want everyone who comes to visit Future Legends and see Northern Colorado FC play, whether they come from the local area or across the nation, to feel that they can reach their dreams too.”

The team’s official colors, logo, branding, and more will be announced over the next few months.

Interestingly, the team has also said that they are looking for input from the community on the development process, and will host “multiple focus groups, Town Hall sessions and workshops and is eager to share the findings and feedback from throughout the brand development progression.” Given the relatively hostile feedback we’ve seen from the Chicago Fire FC rebrand as well as the heavily rumored CF Montreal rebrand, it is good to see that NoCoFC will be involving the state’s soccer community and should result in a team brand that the soccer fans around northern Colorado can get behind.

While no official affiliation has been announced with either the Colorado Rapids or the Colorado Springs Switchbacks yet, it would make sense for there to be some form of partnership. The Switchbacks are currently the Rapids USL Championship affiliate and last year we sent a lot of our players down there on loan: Abraham Rodriguez, Will Vint, Abdul Rwatubyaye, Niki Jackson, and Sebastian Anderson. Abe in particular got a lot of valuable playing time and was the keeper behind the Switchbacks’ Save of the Year. It would be a great opportunity for more of our young players, particularly academy players and those not yet signed on to a homegrown contract to get valuable playing time. From my perspective, there is no reason for there not to be some form of partnership between the three teams.

I am always excited to see expansion teams in the U.S., and am thrilled to see the support for soccer in Colorado. You can follow the new team on Twitter @NoCoUSL , on Facebook and Instagram and online at https://www.nocofc.com/.

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