HIGH POINT, N.C. — The MLS NEXT Pro league is expanding, and the Triad will be a part of the action.
Thursday, High Point City Officials, along with representatives from Major League Soccer announced the official name for the Triad's newest sports franchise.
Carolina Core FC is an independent club that will join the MLS NEXT Pro in 2024.
Established in January of 2022, Carolina Core FC will become the second independent, non-MLS affiliated club in the league, joining Rochester New York FC.
You may wonder, what is the MLS NEXT Pro league? It's all about player development, sort of like Minor League Baseball or the NBA G League.
High Point native, UNC Soccer alum, 3-time US World Cup roster member, and National Soccer Hall of Famer Eddie Pope will join Carolina Core FC as the Chief Sporting Officer. In this role, he will oversee all soccer operations, including technical staff management, player personnel, transactions, and scouting.
"I couldn't be more excited for the arrival of an MLS NEXT Pro club here in the Carolina Core. Our vision is to provide the pro player pathway for the area's best young talent, build a lifelong connection between the club and our fans by uniting the community, and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion both on and off the field", said Pope at today's announcement.
The team's colors and crest will be released sometime in 2023, but as for now, you can visit the official team website to purchase limited-edition Carolina Core FC merchandise.