Professional soccer is coming to Middlesex County, with Gov. Mikie Sherrill and local officials announcing plans Wednesday for a new MLS NEXT Pro club that will begin play next summer.
The team will play at NEXUS, the new sports and entertainment district in Edison, beginning in July 2027, according to MLS NEXT Pro.
The club will initially be known as New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro, but fans and residents will help develop its permanent name, colors, and crest. It will remain affiliated with New York City FC, which will continue to oversee the team’s sporting operations and player-development pathway.
The new club is expected to announce its permanent name, branding, and additional stadium information later this year.
“New Jersey is a soccer state, and we’re proud to welcome our newest professional soccer club to Middlesex County and NEXUS,” Sherrill said. “Starting next summer, New Jerseyans will get to see elite soccer played in our own backyard. Bringing professional soccer to NEXUS gives fans in the heart of our state a team to rally behind while creating new opportunities for athletes and strengthening our state’s growing sports economy.”
Sherrill, Hometown Soccer Holdings, MLS NEXT Pro, New York City FC, and Middlesex County officials made the announcement.
The club is the first MLS NEXT Pro team to relaunch under Hometown Soccer Holdings, a platform created by Major League Soccer and investment firm KKR to expand the league into new markets, develop new club brands and support stadium construction. The partnership is intended to give MLS-affiliated developmental teams distinct local identities while preserving their connections to their parent clubs.
MLS and KKR announced the formation of Hometown Soccer Holdings in April.
“NEXUS gives fans in the heart of our state a team to rally behind,” Sherrill said. “Fans from across the country will come for the soccer and stay for all the food, shopping, and entertainment that the Heart of New Jersey has to offer.”
State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver) criticized the announcement, saying the $200 million sports complex was financed with taxpayer dollars, including COVID relief funds, and should not be touted as a success while families and businesses struggle with high electric bills, property taxes and other living costs.
“Claiming this is a success and hiding the $200 million waste of taxpayer and COVID relief money behind the ribbon cutting is a slap in the face to people who want our state to focus on affordability,” O’Scanlon said. “Minor-league mentality gets you minor-league results. New Jersey taxpayers deserve better.”
NEXUS will include a 6,500-seat stadium, an adjacent plaza, recreational fields, and a full-service restaurant and bar. The stadium will feature suites, party decks, a premium bar opening toward the field, and a grass hill with a playground where families can watch matches. A ribbon-cutting is expected later this year.
The stadium will sit within walking distance of NEXUS Fields at Thomas A. Edison Park, a 14-field youth sports complex designed to host soccer tournaments and other athletic events.
Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios said the club would strengthen the region’s soccer culture and attract new visitors to the county, which has nearly 900,000 residents.
“Bringing professional soccer to Middlesex County will make us an exciting new sports destination in New Jersey,” Rios stated.
The partnership will also bring New York City FC’s youth-development programs to Middlesex County. In 2027, the county will become the second official regional hub for NYCFC Youth Programs, joining LIU Post on Long Island.
The Middlesex Regional Hub will offer teams and supplemental programming for children ages 3 through 18. Based at NEXUS Fields, the program will expose local players to NYCFC’s coaching methods and development pathway.
Soccer fans can also expect youth-athletics investments, exhibition games, friendly scrimmages and community events involving MLS professionals and MLS NEXT Pro players.