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Big news for soccer supporters in Bridgeport and across Connecticut!
I joined local and state officials on Tuesday as MLS NEXT Pro announced the addition of Connecticut United Football Club as the league's newest independent club, which will be based in Bridgeport. CT United FC joins MLS NEXT Pro with a target start date of 2025.
Launched in 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro looks to grow the game through innovation and diversity, bringing professional soccer to new communities like Bridgeport. CT United FC was established by Connecticut Sports Group (CTSG) and its founding partner André Swanston, a longtime Connecticut resident and technology entrepreneur who is one of only a few Black principal owners in U.S. sports history. Swanston and his wife, Michelle, actively invest in minority and women-owned businesses, in addition to donating to education and community-focused initiatives across the country.
The team plans to play in a brand-new, waterfront soccer stadium that is part of as part of a premier family-friendly entertainment and sports destination, which also encompasses a mix of residences, retail and dining space, community greens, a river walk, and a hotel.
This is an exciting moment for the city's economic development efforts. I will work closely with my colleagues in the Bridgeport legislative delegation to secure state funding that will help bring this project to fruition.
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