JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Officials with the United Soccer League (USL), the University of North Florida, and the City of Jacksonville have announced the arrival of the city’s first women’s major league sports franchise.
Sporting Club Jacksonville, a club founded in 2020 whose ownership group includes Tim Tebow and Fred Taylor, Mayor Donna Deegan, USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort, and leadership from the University of North Florida, made the announcement from the University of North Florida on Tuesday afternoon.
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“We are excited to partner with the University of North Florida and bring our inaugural women’s professional season to Hodges Stadium,” said Steve Livingstone, Sporting JAX president and CEO. “Our Sporting JAX women’s team will make history as the first-ever major league women’s professional sports team for Jacksonville and the First Coast.
While plans are underway for a permanent stadium location for the Sporting JAX women’s and men’s teams, UNF’s Hodges Stadium will serve as the interim home for the women’s team from Fall 2025 through Spring 2026, inclusive of regular season matches and friendlies.
“Sporting JAX will be a wonderful addition to the league, and we look forward to seeing them take the field at UNF next fall,” said Amanda Vandervort, president of the USL Super League.
“I love to lift everybody in our community,” Mayor Deegan said at the press conference. “But I’m just all about the girls...I think women belong in every aspect of sporting life and I agree with everything that sports teaches kids about life.”
She continued, “I’d like to extend a hearty congratulations to Amanda, the USL Super League, the amazing team at Sporting JAX, and UNF for this incredible leap forward for our sports community.”
She was followed by UNF President Dr. Moez Limayem, who reminded the audience that Tuesday’s announcement was “historic” and something that will be talked about for decades.
“History starts today, and when we partner at UNF we look for the www,” Limayem said. “And that’s not the World Wide Web, that stands for win, win, win.”
UNF officials added that tickets for the professional women’s club are already on sale, and can be purchased through SportingJax.com/tickets. Club memberships are free, but season ticket holders will have access to exclusive benefits, including a chance to attend special events, meet new players and coaches, and will also have opportunities to transfer and switch out their match tickets if they can’t attend a game.
Additionally, children aged 3 and under will be allowed to enter games for free while kids aged 6 and under will have a “reduced season ticket pricing option.”
“Our pricing reflects how we want to make Sporting JAX matches accessible and inclusive to everyone in our community,” officials said.
