Could Minnesota United’s USL affiliate be in Madison?

Back in January Soccer Stadium Digest broke a story stating that Breese Stevens Field in Madison, WI, which is currently home to the UPSL Madison 56ers, could be home to a professional soccer club starting in 2019. The article states it would be owned by Big Top Baseball who own 4 Northwoods League baseball clubs in Wisconsin.

Earlier today Wisconsin Soccer Central posted notes from a conference from back in February. Those notes state:

“Big Top is working with a league call USL and is working with Minnesota United to handle player procurement. It would be two levels removed from major league soccer.”

That means that this would be Minnesota United’s USL affiliate and would play in the proposed USL D3 League and not the currently existing United Soccer League.

We did reach out to Big Top Baseball for comment as well, CEO Conor Caloia stated:

“Yes, our pursuit of USL D3 soccer at Breese Stevens Field is accurate. We are working towards 2019.

As far as the comments about some type of affiliation or partnership with an MLS franchise, yes, we would be open to some type of partnership with an MLS franchise. I would say that the comment on a relationship with MNUFC is premature or overstated.”

With Big Top Baseball not ruling out an MLS affiliation and with Chicago Fire currently being affiliated with Tulsa Roughnecks FC and Loons matches also airing on FS Wisconsin it makes perfect sense to affiliate with a Madison based club.

Another question is would this team be affiliated or an extension of the already existing Madison 56ers or would this be a brand new club? Either way if this does happen it will be Wisconsin’s first professional outdoor soccer club since Milwaukee Wave United folded after the 2004 A-League season.