On Friday, the United Soccer League (USL) announced plans to bring more professional soccer to the New York metropolitan area.
The USL and North Jersey Pro Soccer, an ownership group made up of local businesspeople, plan to introduce men’s and women’s teams that will play at Hinchliffe Stadium, a historic 10,000-capacity venue in Paterson, NJ built in 1932.
The men’s team intends to join USL League One in 2026. It sets up a local rivalry with Westchester SC, an expansion side that joined the Division III league this year. The target date for the women’s side is the fall of 2027, with additional details to be announced.
This news comes one day after the USL announced plans to start a Division I professional league in the next few years.
Hinchliffe Stadium
Both North Jersey Pro Soccer teams plan to call Hinchliffe Stadium home. Once the home of the New York Black Yankees of baseball’s Negro League, the stadium has undergone extensive renovations and upgrades in recent years.
Hinchliffe Stadium currently serves as home to the New Jersey Jackals minor league baseball team and multiple local high schools. Last month, Ecuadorian soccer powerhouse Barcelona SC hosted a preseason match against Brooklyn amateurs Osner’s FC, which drew a crowd of just under 4,000 people in the snow.
Michael Battista
The announcement from North Jersey Pro Soccer follows the approval of a $2.5 million investment from the Paterson Restoration Corporation (PRC) to help fund the creation of the teams.
“The PRC is proud to support this transformative investment in professional soccer at Hinchliffe Stadium,” PRC Chairman Orlando Cruz said in the announcement. “This initiative aligns with our mission to drive economic growth, create job opportunities and enhance the quality of life for Paterson residents. Bringing professional men’s and women’s soccer to our city will not only celebrate our diverse and passionate community, but also inspire the next generation of athletes.”
North Jersey Pro Soccer is led by Paterson native Baye Adofo-Wilson, a co-developer and owner of Hinchliffe Stadium Neighborhood Restoration Project (HSNRP).
The announcement also mentioned that former soccer executive Erik Stover joined the club’s leadership team as co-founder and chief executive officer. Stover previously worked for the New York Red Bulls front office as a Managing Director, overseeing the construction of Red Bull Arena, before joining the New York Cosmos as their Chief Operating Officer. Recently, the North Jersey local worked with Danish club Akademisk Boldklub Gladsaxe as their CEO. Stover was also directly involved in the Hinchliffe Stadium restoration project.
Paterson's rich soccer history
In the announcement, USL deputy CEO and chief real estate officer Justin Papadakis mentioned the historic ties Northern New Jersey has to soccer.
“North Jersey has a rich and storied soccer history, and the revitalization of Hinchliffe Stadium—along with the continued development of the surrounding area—makes it an ideal home for professional men’s and women’s soccer,” he said. “With a civic-focused ownership group and a committed partnership with Paterson Restoration Corporation, this new club will drive economic growth, inspire young athletes and create a vibrant hub for fans that honors the region's sporting heritage.”
Paterson has plenty of ties to the world of soccer. Current Toronto FC midfielder and MLS Cup champion Derrick Etienne Jr. grew up in the city. He went on to join the New York Red Bulls Academy, then advanced to the First Team and helped the club win a USL Cup (with Red Bulls II) and MLS Supporters’ Shield. The list of local soccer legends also includes prolific striker Jemal Johnson, whose career in Europe spanned over a decade, and former USMNT forward Jorge Acosta.
Hinchliffe has a previous history with professional soccer. In the late 1980s, the venue was home to the New Jersey Eagles of the American Soccer League. That team’s 1988 roster included a young Tab Ramos, who went on to make his United States men’s national team debut that same year.
Other Eagles alumni include former New York Cosmos Andranik Eskandarian and Hubert Birkenmeier – and disgraced NWSL head coach Paul Riley – who all finished their playing careers with the team.
A decade before Hinchliffe Stadium was built, Paterson FC won the 1922–23 National Challenge Cup, better known today as the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. To this day, they remain one of only two teams from the Garden State (alongside Elizabeth SC) to ever win the national championship.
