University of North Carolina Athletics
WUSA's Orlando Franchise Will Relocate To North Carolina
October 31, 2000 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 31, 2000
NEW YORK, N.Y. - The Women's United Soccer Association/WUSA has approved a move of the Orlando team from Florida to North Carolina for the inaugural 2001 season. The Orlando team (which is owned by Time Warner Entertainment Advance Newhouse) was unable to locate an appropriate stadium before November 1, 2000. Jerome Ramsey, President of both the New York and North Carolina teams, made the stadium announcement today.
"While we regret that Orlando cannot be part of the WUSA inaugural season, we are very excited about the move to North Carolina," said Ramsey. "Beginning in 2002, a soccer-specific complex will be completed that exemplifies the WUSA's commitment to developing and playing in facilities that effectively showcase the sport. For the 2001 season we are hoping to play at Fetzer Field at the University of North Carolina. With its rich history (UNC has won 15 of the 18 NCAA titles) and number of UNC athletes who have played on the national team, Fetzer Field would serve as a perfect backdrop for the WUSA's North Carolina team to kick off its' inaugural season."
"Orlando remains very high on the WUSA's list of potential expansion cities," said Lee Berke, Acting President of the WUSA. "It's a great city and was initially selected because of the tremendous enthusiasm the city had for the WUSA, local ownership interest, sponsorship potential and television resources."
Forward Danielle Fotopoulos and midfielder/defender Tiffany Roberts (another UNC alum) will compete for the North Carolina team and will be joined by defender Carla Overbeck. Fotopoulos and Roberts were part of the original WUSA player allocation draft while Overbeck only recently decided to play in 2001. In Overbeck, North Carolina gets a tremendously skilled player, who captained the 1999 World Cup team and played every minute of all six games in the tournament. She scored the first penalty kick in the final against China. North Carolina fans will remember her because while at UNC the Tar Heels won four NCAA titles. Midfielder Michelle Akers, who was part of the initial allocation draft, will not play for North Carolina in 2001. She will take the year off to recover from shoulder surgery.
The WUSA conditionally awarded the initial eight markets with franchises for the 2001 season with the provision that they execute a venue contract by November 1, 2000. If an appropriate venue could not be secured by that date then an alternate city would be substituted. When the Orlando ownership group felt it could not find an appropriate stadium in time for the deadline, the decision to move was made. The WUSA selected the eight cities last April from a finalist list of 16, of which North Carolina was one of the alternates. A list of other possible expansion markets that the WUSA may explore as the League expands in subsequent years, includes Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Portland, and St. Louis. The League is closely monitoring stadium development opportunities as well in Milwaukee, Denver and Houston. The League will open with eight teams and may expand to as many as 14 teams during the first five years of operation.
The WUSA will launch next April in eight team markets: Atlanta, Bay Area, Boston, New York, North Carolina, Philadelphia, San Diego and Washington D.C. The WUSA will feature practically all of the members of the 1999 World Cup Champion and 2000 silver medal winning-team. WUSA's founding players are: Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain, Tracy Ducar, Lorrie Fair, Joy Fawcett, Danielle Fotopoulos, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, Tiffeny Milbrett, Carla Overbeck, Cindy Parlow, Christie Pearce, Tiffany Roberts, Briana Scurry, Kate Sobrero, Tisha Venturini, Saskia Webber, and Sara Whalen.
WUSA investors include John S. Hendricks, chairman and CEO of Discovery Communications, Inc., the parent company of Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, and other cable network services, Amos B. Hostetter, Jr., former chairman and CEO, Continental Cablevision, Inc., Comcast Corporation, which has majority ownership of QVC, Comcast-Spectacor, Comcast SportsNet, and The Golf Channel, and a controlling interest in E! Networks, Cox Enterprises, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable. Time Warner Cable's parent company is Time Warner Inc., which is the world's leading media company with an array of world class properties that includes Turner Broadcasting, Sports Illustrated, and the Atlanta Braves.
