Downtown Businesses Push to Bring Soccer Back as Fresno Eyes $50M Stadium

Fresno city officials have entered a one-year exclusivity and due-diligence agreement with the United Soccer League to explore bringing professional men’s and women’s soccer back to the city and building a soccer-specific stadium in downtown Fresno or the Chinatown area. The proposal calls for about 5,000 seats with a total standing capacity of roughly 7,000, room for future expansion, and an estimated construction cost near $50 million.

Mayor Jerry Dyer framed the effort as a step toward restoring pro soccer and anchoring a larger entertainment district. He said, “We not only need a professional soccer team, or teams, in the City of Fresno, we also need a dedicated soccer stadium in downtown Fresno,” and added, “So today’s announcement is huge, as we will be taking a critical step, a major step towards making this dream a reality. Fresno is ready to have not only its own soccer teams, professional soccer teams, but Fresno’s ready to have it’s own dedicated soccer stadium right here in downtown Fresno.” Dyer told reporters he was unsure of the exact cost but that it was “probably around $50 million to build a stadium that's adequate to support the fan experience we want in Fresno.” He said the exclusivity agreement runs one year and, as he reported, was signed on Nov. 1, 2026.

The United Soccer League has committed to covering predevelopment costs, and USL Chief Operating Officer Justin Papadakis said the league wants to be part of downtown’s revival. “When we saw the amazing progress that's been made in creating infrastructure for a real vibrant district in Downtown Fresno, we said we want to be part of that story,” he said, adding, “There's going to be hundreds of thousands, or millions, of dollars invested on our side to put all those pieces together.” Papadakis pointed to about $300 million in recent downtown investment as a catalyst for the league’s renewed interest.

Local organizers and investors are already positioning to move quickly. Adam Smith of Fresno Pro Soccer LLC, a former Fresno FC coach involved in the effort, said, “We already have a list of investors that are ready to come in,” and called connection with the USL a key milestone: “The most important part was getting the USL connected with the city and agreeing we want to move forward with the stadium project downtown.”

Site work will be central to the next phase. City planners are weighing downtown and Chinatown locations; a stadium would need at least six acres. Chinatown’s California Dairies properties offer more than 10 acres but would require incentives and relocation agreements to assemble a suitable parcel. The city is seeking a public-private partnership to fund the roughly $50 million project and envisions the stadium driving foot traffic, new spending for downtown bars, restaurants, and retailers, and integration with the planned high-speed rail corridor.

Fresno has precedent for stalled stadium plans: Fresno FC folded its local operation after failing to secure a soccer-specific venue and relocated in 2021, and a 2021 proposal considered Selland Arena parking as a site. Mayor Dyer expressed hope the new team would be playing by March 2028.

For downtown merchants and commuters, the coming year will determine whether this project becomes a catalyst for new customers and construction or another round of planning without delivery. The city and USL will complete site studies, sort financing terms, and negotiate any relocation incentives during the exclusivity period; those steps will decide whether Fresno’s long-discussed return to pro soccer actually takes the field.