Local soccer fans will have to wait one more year to see Santa Barbara Sky FC take the pitch at UCSB’s Harder Stadium, but it will be on a much brighter stage than originally planned.
The United Soccer League announced on Wednesday that Santa Barbara Sky FC will debut in the USL Championship in the 2026 season.
The Sky, owned by Peter Moore, was announced as the newest expansion team for USL League One in 2022, which is one league below the Championship level. Santa Barbara will take over the franchise rights of Memphis 901 FC.
“It has taken time and dedication, but our commitment to bring professional soccer to Santa Barbara, a community deserving of nothing less, has paid off,” founding owner Peter Moore said. “By locking in our position in the USL Championship, we are thrilled to kick off in the 2026 season.”
Memphis, a club that has been in the USL Championship for six years, was unable to meet the league’s deadline to provide a stadium solution by the end of the 2024 season.
The club has been playing at AutoZone Park, which functions as a baseball stadium for the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.
“After evaluating multiple potential stadium options, unfortunately, the path to finding a permanent home for Memphis 901 FC did not materialize,” said Justin Papadakis, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Real Estate Officer. “A stadium is the cornerstone of a club’s long-term stability and growth.”
With the jump up to the USL Championship, Moore and the Sky organization will now focus on improving Harder Stadium and building a team ready to compete in one of the highest professional soccer leagues in the nation.
“Joining the USL Championship allows us to compete at the league’s highest level and bring professional soccer to an area with deep roots in the sport,” Moore said.
“Our partnership and investment with UCSB’s Harder stadium underscores the team’s stability, strengthens our ties to the community and delivers a world-class experience for players and fans alike.”
According to Moore, the club is planning on upgrading the playing surface, general admission seating, hospitality areas and eventually the video board and audio systems. More details and in-depth plans will be revealed over the next year.
As for the team construction, Moore told Noozhawk that a head coach and sporting director will be hired in the “coming months,” and once that is completed the club will turn its focus to the talent on the field.
While Moore said that the club will give plenty of consideration to the local soccer talent in Santa Barbara County, he also noted there will likely be an influx of international players and USL players who become available at the end of the 2025 USL season in November.
Once the team is built and Harder Stadium is ready to go, Santa Barbara Sky FC will have a chance to form rivalries with many teams in the USL Championship, another aspect of the change that Moore is looking forward to.
The Sky will join fellow California-based organizations Monterey Bay FC, Oakland Roots SC, Orange County SC and Sacramento Republic FC.
While Santa Barbara Sky FC is planning on adding a women’s team in the future, the organization will begin play in 2026 with just a men’s squad.
As for the approximately 1,200 season ticket deposits, according to Moore, information regarding the status of the tickets will be released to the ticket holders in the coming days.
About United Soccer League (Courtesy of USL)
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem.
This structure includes three men’s leagues: the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional).
The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league.
The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth competition.
With multi-year national and international media rights agreements across various platforms including CBS Sports, ESPN and Peacock, the USL is the most widely accessible soccer league in the country.