Texoma FC is set to begin play in USL League One in the Spring of 2025, just over a year from now. 3rd Degree reached out to the club for some comments regarding the current and future stages of development from CEO and Co-Owner Simon Keizer and President and Co-Owner Ben Watson.
Current Focus
“As the season quickly approaches, the Technical Staff has been a huge focal point of the club, ” Keizer said. “Piecing together a proper professional team from the ground up is no easy task. And with that comes the mountain that is building a cohesive unit that can manage the professional side of our club.”
In addition to the club’s focal point being the Technical Staff, Keizer also emphasized community engagement, “We want to invite everyone in to be a part of the Texoma FC family and deliver when it comes to having a professional sports team that represents them and in turn, a team that they can be proud of.”
The Search for a Manager
No team functions without a manager and according to Keizer, the Texoma FC search is underway. “Communication has been established with multiple individuals that have various approaches in their coaching strategies as well as extensive professional experience (playing and coaching) at an international level.”
Keizer gave a time frame for when fans can expect to hear an announcement of the first Manager and Sporting Director in club history: “within the next few months.”
In a soccer world full of thousands of managers, many with their own unique styles. Watson says the club is after a specific style, “Texoma FC has a very strong desire to bring in a manager that can assert a strong style of play that the club can call Texoma Soccer.”
“Our manager will be expected to adapt to the ever-changing terrain that is American Professional Soccer,” Watson continued, “while still being able to direct our players in-game, displaying a very controlled style of football that can both defend, attack and dictate the flow of the game.”
On the Pitch Expectations
Moving on from the owners, we also chatted with Director of Fan Engagement Keenan Ambrust. While establishing a professional soccer club is a daunting task, “ambition” is one word to describe Texoma FC goals for year one.
For Ambrust, those expectations are a persistent topic of conversation with his bosses. “[We expect to be] competing for titles in the USL from the moment we step on the pitch and are looking to make a playoff run in our first season in USL League 1.”
Texoma FC – Off The Pitch
One of the biggest factors in the success of a new franchise is the people who make noise, the fans in the stands, and Texoma is fully aware of this. With Sherman being a tight-knit community of just under 44,000 people, Texoma FC looks to embrace its local community and take advantage of it.
When asked about how the club plans to be involved in the community, Ambrust said, “Texoma FC is a club for the community, and not just the other way around. The community of Texoma has been at the forefront of this project and the focal point in a lot of our decision-making.”
It is worth noting that Keizer and Watson are both locals of the Texoma area. The community is no stranger to them, and they are not strangers to the community. Texoma FC plans on hosting many events during 2024, including Family Nights.
As everyone knows, there are your fans and then there are your fans. Supporter Group culture is something that Texoma FC plans on incorporating into the game day experience. Armbrust encouraged the idea of a Supporters Group by saying, “The Supporter’s Section will be a space for the die-hard fans to come together in song, chant, and emotion to bolster the club in each game.”
Texoma FC Academy
One of the most visible aspects of the new club is its youth setup. Texoma FC Academy is currently fielding 10 teams and has over 150 athletes participating. Tryouts for the upcoming season will take place in May of 2024.
Texoma FC Women’s Team
According to Armbrust, Texoma FC’s women’s team is expected to begin play in the 2026-2027 season.
Texoma FC Stadium
When Texoma FC kicks off in 2025, they will begin play at Old Bearcat Stadium in Sherman, Texas. The plan is to not be there for long.
Texoma FC is currently in the process of planning a new stadium. Watson says their goal is to “bring a stadium to Texoma FC, unlike any stadium the Texoma Community has seen.”
Where can I watch Texoma FC?
Texoma FC’s inaugural season will be aired on ESPN, ESPN+, Deportes, and CBS Sports.
Let’s gooo