A FIFA-regulation-size soccer pitch measures just under 2 acres, like this one in at the Old Crew Stadium in Columbus. In the winter, the field is covered with an air-supported bubble dome that is usually 20 degrees warmer inside than it is outside (KJP). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
40- to 100-acre facility sought in new RFP
Cleveland Soccer Group (CSG) has issued a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) to municipalities, civic leaders and community development partners to establish a new headquarters and training facilities for two professional soccer teams debuting in 2026 — a men’s team and Ohio’s first women’s professional soccer team that will be announced soon.
The selected site will become the permanent home for Cleveland’s pro soccer future: a world-class, dual-team campus serving as both a training center and operational headquarters. This facility will not only anchor two professional clubs — including the city’s first-ever women’s pro team — but also deliver transformational impact across economic development, youth engagement, tourism and regional identity.
“We’re not just looking for a place to train — we’re looking for a partner to build with,” said Michael Murphy, CSG co-founder and CEO, in a written statement. “This facility will be a hub for community pride, athletic excellence, and local investment. The home and heart of Cleveland soccer belongs in a community ready to grow with us.”
He said an economic impact study predicted the facility could generate more than $1.4 billion in total economic output over 30 years. This includes the creation of more than 80 full-time jobs, increased traffic to local restaurants and hotels, and substantial capital investment in infrastructure and real estate.
The RFP is now open and are due by 11:59 p.m. April 30, 2025. Civic leaders, municipalities, school districts and development organizations are encouraged to visit www.clevelandprosoccer.com/nda to download a non-disclosure agreement and access full proposal materials, including the detailed economic impact study.
Cleveland Sports Group envisions its soccer training facility would host community soccer programs for players of all ages (KJP).
Finalist interviews are scheduled to begin in June, with a site selection expected by July 15, Murphy added. A groundbreaking is targeted for early 2026.
“This is more than a sports facility — it’s an invitation to shape the future of Northeast Ohio,” said Murphy. “We’re bringing the global growth of soccer and the momentum of women’s sports to a region with unmatched passion and pride.”
Key features of the project include:
- 40–100 acres of space with professional-grade grass and turf fields;
- Headquarters facilities, including team offices, medical and recovery space, and training centers;
- A 100,000-square-foot bubble sports facility with shared public use;
- Year-round youth programming, clinics and community events;
- Flexible land ownership and public-private partnership models; and
- Branding lift from being known as the home of professional soccer in Ohio.
One of Northeast Ohio’s largest sports training facilities is the roughly 100-acre Spire Academy at Interstate 90 and State Route 534 in Geneva. But it offers more than just indoor and outdoor soccer fields. It also has football, lacrosse, basketball, futsal and other fitness venues plus nearby temporary housing, hotels, restaurants and other supportive commercial activities (KJP).
“This is a chance for one of our local cities to make the leap from a suburb or municipality to a soccer city with a national profile,” said CSG investor and advisor Len Komoroski. “We’re looking for a partner who sees the vision and wants to build something lasting and meaningful. Together.”
Komoroski previously served as CEO of Rock Entertainment Group (REG), the umbrella entity that oversees the Cleveland Cavaliers National Basketball Association (NBA) team, the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League.
Now, Komoroski is a senior advisor for REG, chairman and managing partner of the Frontier League pro baseball team Lake Erie Crushers, board member for English Sheffield United Football Club, and director of the Australian National Basketball League.
This effort is potentially separate from CSG’s plans to build a new 10,000-seat South Gateway Stadium on land secured by the Cleveland Metroparks in Downtown Cleveland. The $50 million stadium plan would be financed with public and private sources.
Murphy, Komoroski and others are striving to get Cleveland’s Major League Soccer (MLS) Next Pro franchise, a men’s professional developmental league team which it won in 2022, playing next year, even if it starts playing its games at another local venue while the Gateway South stadium is under construction.
Futsal and basketball courts intermingle at Swish365 in Brunswick. But most of these large sports training and playing facilities are in the exurban areas of Greater Cleveland where open land is more plentiful and/or easier to assemble (KJP).
Cleveland is the only top-40 market in the U.S. without a soccer stadium or not having one under construction, Murphy notes. The Gateway South Stadium could be opened before the MLS Next Pro’s season ends in October 2026, he said.
Cleveland also has won a women’s soccer franchise, but the details haven’t been released yet. CSG representatives promised that an announcement is near, just not the one that it previously was seeking.
Late last year, CSG tried to secure the 16th National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion franchise for that fast-growing league. But that effort fell short as Denver won the bid by offering to pay a $110 million franchise fee — double what Boston paid only a year earlier.
“Fans are invited now to be involved in development of both (men’s and women’s) teams’ identities,” according to a CSG press statement issued last month. “Official team names, colors, kits and timelines will be announced in coming months.”
Last year, the United Soccer League began an eight-team women’s pro league called the Super League that will be expanded to 10 cities in the next two years with more teams likely soon. Then, three weeks ago, the USL, a rival league to the MLS, also announced the formation of a professional Division One men’s league but no teams were named as of yet.
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