Yea, I realize the CSU thing is basically a pipe dream. It was on my mind because I recently had a discussion on here about how CSU could use a rebrand, with my preference being "University of Cleveland". Starting a football team, building a midsized on-campus stadium, and upgrading conferences would go a long way to reinforcing the new brand. But I'm not from Cleveland, nor do I know anyone associated with CSU, so I don't know the aspirations of the organization and community.

 

Well, as a graduate of their law school, I can say this...

 

Since I was accepted in Spring of 2014 until I graduate in Spring of 2017. Six new buildings have went up on campus and two sports have been added.

 

In 2013 - 1,900 students lived within a half mile of campus.

In 2018 - 5,100 students are projected to live within a half-mile of campus.

 

The President - Ron Berkman - had gotten a lot of flack for his spending habits, but he's really done a great job turning the school away from the "commuter school" stigma.

Still a commuter school, but you're not going to get a high caliber soccer team from some kids who live nearby. Trust me if we had a stadium we could work with, I would definitely watch some of the sports we have, but the lackluster of that environment keeps me away. In the connecting bridges, I just see a large bubble... which don't get me wrong is pretty cool, but there's something about stadium lights that makes me giddy... Yet there's not been a whole bunch of focus on our athletics and its exactly why the Wolstein center is going under. Its also why I don't see CSU as being an identity even though I currently attend. I don't have anything good to support. Yet I still see no revamp of our athletics, and I don't see any future progress in place with Krenzler field, even though the land is large enough to support a mid sized sports venue. With our new president Harlan Sands, I hope there's some change in the athletics program however I don't think such a thing is on his agendas. I don't expect much but there's not enough going to it. Krenzler park is the next step in our athletics.

 

I've looked at the numbers in Surface Area between neighboring campuses. There's plenty of room! Each collegiate stadium has around 300,000 square feet , best part about this, is that stadiums don't have to be symmetrical, and Krenzler is a weird polygon of sorts, but if we rid of the embarrassment of a baseball diamond and a tennis court, you can very well fit a mid sized stadium in there.

 

What I would like to see is a revamp of CSU's athletics and futures, construction of said field, and leasing it to a soccer club like we currently do at the Wolstein with entertainment and concerts. Doing so would atleast cushion the attendance to maybe 5-10 thousand people. Maybe something under the seating arrangements of Huntington center in Toledo which is home to the ECHL Toledo Walleye. For a double minor league team they sell out to or over capacity almost every game. That says something. And Toledo doesn't have that much of a Hockey history. who says we cant build a flashy new multipurpose arena at Krenzler? This is possible money for CSU, leasing agreements on a multipurpose field for possibly many other leagues. If you want to see multipurpose done right, Nippert stadium in Cincinnati is used for their FCCincinnati team until they build their own soccer specific stadium.

Still a commuter school, but you're not going to get a high caliber soccer team from some kids who live nearby. Trust me if we had a stadium we could work with, I would definitely watch some of the sports we have, but the lackluster of that environment keeps me away. In the connecting bridges, I just see a large bubble... which don't get me wrong is pretty cool, but there's something about stadium lights that makes me giddy... Yet there's not been a whole bunch of focus on our athletics and its exactly why the Wolstein center is going under. Its also why I don't see CSU as being an identity even though I currently attend. I don't have anything good to support. Yet I still see no revamp of our athletics, and I don't see any future progress in place with Krenzler field, even though the land is large enough to support a mid sized sports venue. With our new president Harlan Sands, I hope there's some change in the athletics program however I don't think such a thing is on his agendas. I don't expect much but there's not enough going to it. Krenzler park is the next step in our athletics.

 

I've looked at the numbers in Surface Area between neighboring campuses. There's plenty of room! Each collegiate stadium has around 300,000 square feet , best part about this, is that stadiums don't have to be symmetrical, and Krenzler is a weird polygon of sorts, but if we rid of the embarrassment of a baseball diamond and a tennis court, you can very well fit a mid sized stadium in there.

 

What I would like to see is a revamp of CSU's athletics and futures, construction of said field, and leasing it to a soccer club like we currently do at the Wolstein with entertainment and concerts. Doing so would atleast cushion the attendance to maybe 5-10 thousand people. Maybe something under the seating arrangements of Huntington center in Toledo which is home to the ECHL Toledo Walleye. For a double minor league team they sell out to or over capacity almost every game. That says something. And Toledo doesn't have that much of a Hockey history. who says we cant build a flashy new multipurpose arena at Krenzler? This is possible money for CSU, leasing agreements on a multipurpose field for possibly many other leagues. If you want to see multipurpose done right, Nippert stadium in Cincinnati is used for their FCCincinnati team until they build their own soccer specific stadium.

 

tastybunns[/member] I was in a meeting in December re: the arena. Don't be surprised to see announcements for a 5-6,000 seat arena announced by 2020. It will be smaller and focus on a more intimate student experience, with designated student sections.

 

Additionally, there are talks underway to move the softball field, re-orient Krenzler field, and close E. 18th between Chester and Payne for additional bleachers. The plans for CSU lax are nothing short of grandiose.

 

Additionally, there are projected to be 10,000 students within a half mile of campus by 2020 - with each year it becomes less and less of a commuter school.

 

I graduated from high school in 2009 - 950 kids lived on campus at that time. CSU is undergoing a renaissance and I think it's wildly underappreciated.

Additionally, there are talks underway to move the softball field, re-orient Krenzler field, and close E. 18th between Chester and Payne for additional bleachers. The plans for CSU lax are nothing short of grandiose.

 

This is an idea I could really get behind!

Additionally, there are talks underway to move the softball field, re-orient Krenzler field, and close E. 18th between Chester and Payne for additional bleachers. The plans for CSU lax are nothing short of grandiose.

 

This is great to hear. It seems like there's enough room there that you wouldn't need to close the street, especially if you re-orient the field and remove the softball field. I measure about a 500'x600' rectangle is available on that block. For context Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium is about 500'x600', so you could be a decent sized stadium on that footprint. What is that small brick building near the tennis courts? It will be interesting to see what's proposed.

Additionally, there are talks underway to move the softball field, re-orient Krenzler field, and close E. 18th between Chester and Payne for additional bleachers. The plans for CSU lax are nothing short of grandiose.

 

This is great to hear. It seems like there's enough room there that you wouldn't need to close the street, especially if you re-orient the field and remove the softball field. I measure about a 500'x600' rectangle is available on that block. For context Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium is about 500'x600', so you could be a decent sized stadium on that footprint. What is that small brick building near the tennis courts? It will be interesting to see what's proposed.

 

The softball field would likely be oriented abutting Payne, this is all contingent upon that building being moved. It is currently owned and operated by First Energy, but I've been told it isn't a critical part of their operations.

 

Krenzler would then be shifted about 30* Southeast.

I don't really like the idea of streets removed from the grid but as long as they maintain pedestrian/bicycle through traffic, I like it.

^ agree. Those long stretches without cross streets just encourages faster traffic. Like that nearby stretch of Superior between E12 and 17 it’s essentially a highway.

That's great to hear YABO! I never would have thought they would ever push it forward.

 

Eh, They could have at-least added the wings of the crown to the logo. I don't like how blobby it looks to the left. The production of the video was somewhat mediocre in telling the story of the logo, really and the music just sucked... They could have made a hype video on Cleveland's obvious sports history, but they just told a boring not very well thought out story of how they made the logo. However Cleveland Crest sounds amazing. It rolls of the tongue nicely.

Additionally, there are talks underway to move the softball field, re-orient Krenzler field, and close E. 18th between Chester and Payne for additional bleachers. The plans for CSU lax are nothing short of grandiose.

 

There's no way a NPSL team would go out of their way to build a stadium but there have been rumors of a group looking into a USL expansion team.... which i would assume would want a new stadium.

 

I would love to see Cleveland build something more along the lines of the new stadium USL team Louisville City is building.  10,000 capacity with the ability to expand. I think you could pull that off on the site of Krenzler Field, especially if you move the softball field....and not even need to interfere with 18th St.

 

I think they should try to partner with St. Ignatius to give them a home field close to the school.  10k would be perfect for them. 

I think they should try to partner with St. Ignatius to give them a home field close to the school.  10k would be perfect for them. 

 

They've already announced that, unfortunately, they will play at John Carroll in University Heights

In interesting news, a man at my gym this morning had a Cleveland SC tattoo. Not joking

i'd make sure the operation didn't fold after two seasons before i put ink to skin, i think

I like the logo. Reminded me imeditally of Olympiakos.

 

Despite hating the location they’ve chosen to play at, I do want Cleveland to have a sucessful team playing at a decent level, so I went to the second game of the season against Greater Binghamton to take a look and lend my support. First of all, I have to point out that the visitors were shockingly poor, but you can only beat the team put in front of you and Cleveland did that handsomely, running out 10-0 winners in a game that was a clear mis-match within 2 minutes of the kick off.

Cleveland are a well-organized, good side with some quality players. On this evidence they are much better than the AFC Cleveland team I saw a few times in their championship winning season a couple of years ago. I find it hard to believe there are many better sides in NSPL, so this could be a successful season. They are 2-0 so far and yet to concede a goal.

So back to the decision to play at JCU. As others have pointed out in this thread - this location does nothing whatsoever to help generate a fan culture and tap into a potential fanbase. This game was up against the Champions League final, so hopefully future games will draw more than the 150 who were there on Saturday. 

Given the fact that the Crew leaving looks imminent, do you think there will be a push to try and get an MLS team In Cleveland someday soon?

 

Cant see it happening if the Crew stays, as I cant see 3 teams in Ohio. If Crew leaves, Cleveland may be a better fit for a second team as it splits the fan base to the corners of Ohio and also given Pittsburgh does not have a team could be good for that corner of the region.

Brutus_buckeye[/member] I think Pittsburgh would get the team before us. The Riverhounds have an established fan base and a stadium ready for expansion.

I don't venture into the sports forum often, but great to see an informed soccer convo here.  Cleveland is obviously a great sports town on a pound-for-pound basis, but I think we're a bit over-extended already with 3 major league sports teams.  Cincinnati works for MLS because they only have 2 existing teams, but there simply aren't enough corporate dollars or people to go around to support a new MLS team in Cleveland at this point.  The early 2000's bid was at a different time for MLS, when expansion teams joined for less than $10mil and the Rochester Rhinos were a serious expansion contender.

 

THAT SAID, I think a USL team could still be a really good fit.  A ~10,000 seater similar to Louisville's could be a really useful venue for downtown or inner Cleveland.  A partnership with CSU and/or local high schools could see that venue host 50+ events per year. Cleveland is one of the largest markets in the country without a professional team in the first two tiers, so I think it's only a matter of time before a group comes together.  My hope is that they have a plan based around a new central location, and don't go the lazy route of playing at Byers Field or Browns Stadium.

 

As for Cleveland SC, I'm glad to see some new energy pumped into the local scene, but the location is a major bummer for me.  It would be virtually impossible for me to convince a group of friends to spend a summer weekend night at a game in the middle of a residential east-side suburban neighborhood.

Well said ML11[/member] ... As an alum and booster at St. Ignatius, there has been talks of expanding Wasmer Field on campus to accommodate 8,000+ and I know Great Lakes is fully on board with limiting street access to W. 28th to provide for the expansion of bleachers. There were even discussions of a parking garage and shuttle service provided by Great Lakes from the restaurant to the field (despite it being 800 feet away).

 

The money is already there and set to go, I think the issues, for the moment, are convincing some within the athletic program that its a good idea.

 

If Ignatius does move forward in the next 4-5 years, an 8,000 seater in Ohio City would be an unbelievable American soccer atmosphere.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.484376,-81.7054596,265m/data=!3m1!1e3

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.484376,-81.7054596,265m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

I'm supportive as long as they don't further compromise the views of the school. It's amazing. I want to personally destroy that stupidly placed physical plant building and that 80's looking gym? addition.

^Lol Murphy Gym, donated by Murlan Murphy, founder of Murphy's Oil Soaps - he also donated the chapel on campus.

 

Fun story, he was never athletic enough to play sports during his time at Ignatius, but wanted to participate. So, as a millionaire, he decided to donate an auxiliary gym and fitness center as a means of promoting intramural sports and physical activities.

 

Affixed to both the gym and the chapel in carved stone is the phrase "Vide quid est herba fullonum" - Look what soap made.

Well said ML11[/member] ... As an alum and booster at St. Ignatius, there has been talks of expanding Wasmer Field on campus to accommodate 8,000+ and I know Great Lakes is fully on board with limiting street access to W. 28th to provide for the expansion of bleachers. There were even discussions of a parking garage and shuttle service provided by Great Lakes from the restaurant to the field (despite it being 800 feet away).

 

The money is already there and set to go, I think the issues, for the moment, are convincing some within the athletic program that its a good idea.

 

If Ignatius does move forward in the next 4-5 years, an 8,000 seater in Ohio City would be an unbelievable American soccer atmosphere.

 

This is basically my dream scenario.  Can't think of a better place in America for pre/post-game festivities than the West 25th corridor.  They'd have to build a garage across Lorain, and I'm sure some neighborhood groups would lose their minds, but it would be incredibly fun. 

 

I don't doubt that Ignatius could raise the money for it.  If they could even build some suites or "premium" amenities, I bet they could bring in similar $-per-suite as the Browns for some games.  I completely understand why as a school they might be hesitant to build there, but I'm going to keep on dreaming anyway.

St Ignatius would be an excellent location for the NPSL, Cleveland SC team to play it they ever do go through with expanding the seating.

 

As far as when and if we get a USL team, which I would fully expect to be a D2, main USL team...not the upstart D3 league....I think the league would pressure that team to be building a soccer specific stadium.

 

Anyway, I love the branding of the team so far. The logo is relevant, the kits are legit, and they have some substantial sponsors like Platform Brewing and Planet Fitness. Also the partnership with the popular local clothing company Cleveland Clothing Co is a smart move to help with publicity as well as having quality apparel right out the gate.

 

I would love to see this NPSL team become our USL team.

Cleveland SC followed a decent road trip, a 0-0 draw at Buffalo that really should have been a win and a 5-0 rout of the hapless Binghamton, with their first loss of the season 3-1 at home to Fort Pitt Regiment. The visitors were also unbeaten so far and were clearly the best team Cleveland have faced this season. Poor defending at set-peices proved to be their downfall with all three Fort Pitt goals coming from wide balls played into the box - two from corners and one from a free kick. The visitors took the lead after three minutes from a scramble following a corner and some poor defending. This was Cleveland’s first goal conceded this season and it seemed to shake them and they were really out of sorts against a well organized and tenacious opposition who were first to the ball constantly in the first half and never let the Cleveland midfield settle.

Within a couple of minutes they had a chance to tie, winning a soft penalty kick, but the soccer gods must have been watching and the PK was weak and easily saved. Despite a lot of huff and puff and plenty of possession, Cleveland never really looked too threatening and Fort Pitt were more dangerous going forward. They added on with two almost identical goals, far post headers back across the box for on onrushing attacker on the other post steaming in to head home.

Cleveland did come on strong the last 10-15 minutes and poked home a consolation in the 90th minute. Better crowd than last time, maybe 200+. It’s still early days (and I can’t overstate the lousy choice of stadium), but Buffalo are probably the benchmark Cleveland SC need to aim for and they pull well over 1,000 a game.

FIFA announced that the 2026 games will be in US-Canada-Mexico. in the US, some 20 cities are listed as possible sites--to be whittled down to 16 in a few years.  Cleveland did not make the cut--but Cincinnati did. Is the US committee as corrupt as FIFA? Was it pay to play and CLE didn't pay enough?

^ All teams that made the cut were MLS markets or soon to be MLS markets outside of Edmonton and Baltimore who really is just part of the DC bid.

An eventful week for Cleveland in their pursuit of a playoff place, starting last Sunday with a 3-3 home draw against FC Buffalo in the searing heat at JCU. On paper, not a great result, but felt more like a win as they battled back from 0-2 to tie it up on 90mins. There then followed an insane 7 mins of injury time, seeing Buffalo hit back to go up 2-3, only for Cleveland to tie it again.

This was followed on Tuesday with a very impressive 3-0 win at Fort Pitt, ample revenge for the 1-3 home defeat at home to the Pittsburgers a couple of weeks ago.

Friday night saw the unbeaten, division-leading Erie Commodores come to town. Cleveland took the lead, only for Erie to tie it up right on half time. Straight from the restart Erie won and missed a PK, but went 1-2 up just after the hour. Cleveland never stopped playing organised, disciplined soccer and tied it up with a brilliant turn and finish from star striker Vinny Bell. He then completed his hat-trick and secured the 3-2 win with a header from a corner.

This leaves Cleveland second in the conference, one point behind Eire with Buffalo and Fort Pitt still breathing down their necks in third and fourth.

The final home game of the regular season is on Sunday against Syracuse (bummed I can't make it due to family commitments), followed by away games at Syracuse and Erie. It's tight, but a couple of wins in the Syracuse games could be enough to secure a top two spot and a playoff place.

The final home game of the regular season is on Sunday

 

The final home game is also #SaveTheCrew night.  Thanks for the support!

 

 

So, things turned out in my favor today and I was able to attend the last home game of the season against Syracuse. The visitors proved to be better than their second-from-bottom record suggested and it took a while for Cleveland to see them off. Eventually, a burst of three well-taken goals in seven second half minutes just after the hour helped Cleveland run out easy winners 4-0.

Erie gave up a last-minute goal to draw their game, so Cleveland are now top of the division with two games left. Erie are one point behind and Fort Pitt trail by three points, but both have three left to play. Nevertheless, it still seems like a win at Syracuse next Saturday should see Cleveland get a playoff place as they have by far the best goal difference and Erie and Fort Pitt have to play one another yet.

 

^Lol Murphy Gym, donated by Murlan Murphy, founder of Murphy's Oil Soaps - he also donated the chapel on campus.

 

Fun story, he was never athletic enough to play sports during his time at Ignatius, but wanted to participate. So, as a millionaire, he decided to donate an auxiliary gym and fitness center as a means of promoting intramural sports and physical activities.

 

Affixed to both the gym and the chapel in carved stone is the phrase "Vide quid est herba fullonum" - Look what soap made.

 

Good trivia there.  I never realized the company was from Cleveland?

Fort Pitt lost 1-0 at Syracuse last night, meaning that a Cleveland win at Syracuse on Friday will guarantee a playoff spot. If Cleveland also win the final game of the regular season at Erie, they will win the division.

Fort Pitt lost 1-0 at Syracuse last night, meaning that a Cleveland win at Syracuse on Friday will guarantee a playoff spot. If Cleveland also win the final game of the regular season at Erie, they will win the division.

 

My cousin went to a game and said it was painful. The drive, the well-intentioned try-hards with orange smoke bombs, and the on-field product.

I could agree with the first two points. On the third, I’m not sure what your cousin was expecting for an $8 ticket watching fourth tier, semi-pros!

As a European, I’d like to think I’ve got a fairly decent handle on soccer and Cleveland play the game in the right way and with no little skill.

So, Cleveland got the 1-0 win at Syracuse to guarantee a playoff place.

In the final regular season game Cleveland lost 1-2 at Erie, despite the home team playing two thirds of the match with only 10 men following a red card.

The somewhat convoluted playoff rules (involving finishing place, physical location and proximity to other teams and Euclidean space) means Cleveland return to Erie for the first round of the playoffs this Saturday.

Not exactly Cleveland SC news but it's been released that a group is indeed working to bring USL to Cleveland.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180715/news/168266/force-sports-lofty-goal-return-cleveland-force

Interesting those two youth clubs were purchased.

Not exactly Cleveland SC news but it's been released that a group is indeed working to bring USL to Cleveland.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180715/news/168266/force-sports-lofty-goal-return-cleveland-force

 

Oh wow, I would so love for a return of the Cleveland Force. To me it makes sense to be on the phone with CSU on a shared facility right now. It would be telling to know which developers the Abrams family is talking with. Please no suburbs!!!

Interesting news on the Force (who way predate my time in Cleveland, but I know there's still a lot of love for them).

 

Back to the team we do have right now; Cleveland SC stuffed Erie 4-0 in PA in the first round of the payoffs and now progress to the regional semi-finals this weekend, all of which will take place at AFC Ann Arbor. At 4pm Friday Minneapolis City play Duluth FC, followed by the the hosts vs Cleveland SC. The two winners then play the championship game the following day. 

Interesting news on the Force (who way predate my time in Cleveland, but I know there's still a lot of love for them).

 

Back to the team we do have right now; Cleveland SC stuffed Erie 4-0 in PA in the first round of the payoffs and now progress to the regional semi-finals this weekend, all of which will take place at AFC Ann Arbor. At 4pm Friday Minneapolis City play Duluth FC, followed by the the hosts vs Cleveland SC. The two winners then play the championship game the following day. 

 

Is the Cleveland vs Ann Arbor game Friday at 4 or are you talking about the other one?

 

I live in Toledo (and support Cleveland teams as opposed to Detroit). Might be able to make it up there to support em (haven't made it to a game yet).

Ann Arbor vs Cleveland is at 7.30pm.

Have fun if you go. If it wasn’t for a long-standing commitment I have in Cowtown I’d be there too.

Not exactly Cleveland SC news but it's been released that a group is indeed working to bring USL to Cleveland.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180715/news/168266/force-sports-lofty-goal-return-cleveland-force

 

Oh wow, I would so love for a return of the Cleveland Force. To me it makes sense to be on the phone with CSU on a shared facility right now. It would be telling to know which developers the Abrams family is talking with. Please no suburbs!!!

I take it as a positive sign that they purchased those youth clubs already.  Shows they are serious, and having an integrated youth club alongside a pro club is the right way to run a team...it also can have business advantages through sponsorship, forming a built-in fanbase, and providing additional employment opportunities for the (mostly) part-time pros in the USL.

 

The facility sounds like the biggest question mark, and I agree that a partnership with CSU would make a lot of sense, although I'm not sure if CSU has any formal roadmap for investing that much in athletics(?). Another moonshot idea of mine is to see if a stadium could work as part of the Scranton Peninsula development.

Not exactly Cleveland SC news but it's been released that a group is indeed working to bring USL to Cleveland.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180715/news/168266/force-sports-lofty-goal-return-cleveland-force

 

Oh wow, I would so love for a return of the Cleveland Force. To me it makes sense to be on the phone with CSU on a shared facility right now. It would be telling to know which developers the Abrams family is talking with. Please no suburbs!!!

I take it as a positive sign that they purchased those youth clubs already.  Shows they are serious, and having an integrated youth club alongside a pro club is the right way to run a team...it also can have business advantages through sponsorship, forming a built-in fanbase, and providing additional employment opportunities for the (mostly) part-time pros in the USL.

 

The facility sounds like the biggest question mark, and I agree that a partnership with CSU would make a lot of sense, although I'm not sure if CSU has any formal roadmap for investing that much in athletics(?). Another moonshot idea of mine is to see if a stadium could work as part of the Scranton Peninsula development.

 

And the owner of the project could build a bar 500 feet from the stadium... not a bad idea.

Not exactly Cleveland SC news but it's been released that a group is indeed working to bring USL to Cleveland.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180715/news/168266/force-sports-lofty-goal-return-cleveland-force

 

Oh wow, I would so love for a return of the Cleveland Force. To me it makes sense to be on the phone with CSU on a shared facility right now. It would be telling to know which developers the Abrams family is talking with. Please no suburbs!!!

I take it as a positive sign that they purchased those youth clubs already.  Shows they are serious, and having an integrated youth club alongside a pro club is the right way to run a team...it also can have business advantages through sponsorship, forming a built-in fanbase, and providing additional employment opportunities for the (mostly) part-time pros in the USL.

 

The facility sounds like the biggest question mark, and I agree that a partnership with CSU would make a lot of sense, although I'm not sure if CSU has any formal roadmap for investing that much in athletics(?). Another moonshot idea of mine is to see if a stadium could work as part of the Scranton Peninsula development.

 

And the owner of the project could build a bar 500 feet from the stadium... not a bad idea.

 

Would Scranton aka THUNDERBOLT! be too far from St. Ignatius? Hmmmm

Not exactly Cleveland SC news but it's been released that a group is indeed working to bring USL to Cleveland.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180715/news/168266/force-sports-lofty-goal-return-cleveland-force

 

Oh wow, I would so love for a return of the Cleveland Force. To me it makes sense to be on the phone with CSU on a shared facility right now. It would be telling to know which developers the Abrams family is talking with. Please no suburbs!!!

I take it as a positive sign that they purchased those youth clubs already.  Shows they are serious, and having an integrated youth club alongside a pro club is the right way to run a team...it also can have business advantages through sponsorship, forming a built-in fanbase, and providing additional employment opportunities for the (mostly) part-time pros in the USL.

 

The facility sounds like the biggest question mark, and I agree that a partnership with CSU would make a lot of sense, although I'm not sure if CSU has any formal roadmap for investing that much in athletics(?). Another moonshot idea of mine is to see if a stadium could work as part of the Scranton Peninsula development.

 

And the owner of the project could build a bar 500 feet from the stadium... not a bad idea.

 

Would Scranton aka THUNDERBOLT! be too far from St. Ignatius? Hmmmm

 

I don't think the school would be interested in any permanent partnership with a professional team on-campus. Though, Ignatius has opined and even planned about building their own 9,000-12,000 seat stadium on or near campus. If the stadium was shared and not on the school's property, I could see it happening. Lord knows the school's coffers are deep enough.

CSC opened the new NPSL season last week with a 5-1 road win at Syracuse. The home opener last Sunday was at the new home for this season, Baldwin Wallace, against Rochester Lancers. BW is slightly better than last season’s home of JCU, but did nothing to gain any new fans. The same 250 or so people turning up again as usual. There is one game later in the season at Krenzler Field downtown, but this lack of a walkable stadium in the city is really holding the club back. There’s also the looming specter of a reanimated Cleveland Force rendering CSC functionally irrelevant in the next year or two as well. But let’s stay in the present. 

Rochester started the better, causing CSC problems down the left wing and the first half was a fairly even affair. CSC eventually grew into the game and took the lead with a spectacular free kick from the edge of the area which was expertly bent around the wall and into the top corner. A few minutes later the visitors were awarded a penalty via a diabolical decision from the referee. Thankfully the soccer gods saw that justice prevailed and the CSC keeper made a smart save down to his right. 

CSC took control of the midfield in the second half and bossed the game from there on out, scoring three more goals to run out comfortable 4-0 winners. 

After winning the division last season, I’ve got to think CSC will do well this season too. The next game is Friday night at BW against Eire Commodores, who probably present the biggest threat to CSC making the playoffs again.