TULSA, Okla. – FC Tulsa announced on Wednesday it had signed midfielder Bailey Sparks ahead of the 2026 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Sparks joins Tulsa having most recently competed for Inter Miami CF II, where he recorded one goal and three assists in 18 appearances in MLS NEXT Pro after being selected by Inter Miami CF with the 52nd pick) of the 2025 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The 23-year-old recorded 14 chances created and three big chances created while posting an 86 percent passing accuracy rate in 1,287 minutes of action for the side.  

“We are delighted to welcome Bailey to FC Tulsa,” said Caleb Sewell, FC Tulsa Sporting Director and General Manager. “Bailey is a bright young prospect and an extremely versatile player with very good technical ability who covers a lot of ground, which suits us well. We look forward to Bailey helping us achieve our goals this season.”

Before joining Inter Miami CF II, Sparks attended Southern Methodist University, where he featured for the Mustangs from 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, the Plano, Texas native made 72 appearances for SMU, starting 63 times, and contributed 14 goals and 18 assists.

Sparks earned numerous honors while competing for the Mustangs. In his junior season he was voted the American Athletic Conference Midfielder of the Year and to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team. As a senior, he was named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, earned both United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team and All-American Athletic Conference First Team honors, and finished the year ranked as the No. 12 upperclassman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer.

Sparks had previously competed for Sporting Kansas City’s academy between July 2020 through the end of July the following year. That year-long stint saw Sparks tally eight USL Championship appearances during brief loan spells with Sporting KC II, with the then-16-year-old scoring the game-winning goal in stoppage time in his debut at Indy Eleven on September 30, 2020.