Indy Eleven is an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
team based in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to:
*North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league
*North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
in 2014, before moving to the
United Soccer League
United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...
in 2018. The franchise plays its home games at
IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium, with plans for a
new stadium in the city's downtown district.
History
![Indy Eleven 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Indy_Eleven_2014.JPG)
Thanks in part to efforts from a grassroots soccer organization, better known as the supporters group
Brickyard Battalion, on January 16, 2013, the NASL announced that an Indianapolis expansion team owned by Ersal Ozdemir, CEO of Keystone Group LLC, would join the league in 2014. Ozdemir named
Peter Wilt
Peter Wilt is a soccer executive who was the first President and General Manager of the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, led an effort to bring an expansion MLS franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and maintains strong connections to the sp ...
as the team's first President and General Manager, this after the veteran American soccer executive had served in a consulting role to explore the viability of professional soccer in Indianapolis in the three months leading up to the January 2013 announcement.
The name and club colors were officially revealed to the public on April 25, 2013 during a ceremony held at Indianapolis' Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The team was named after the
11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment that served with notoriety in the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. Colonel
Lew Wallace
Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...
commanded the regiment, which was mustered on April 25, 1861. The team name reflects both the culture of the game and pays homage to the history of the state. The number also is an obvious reference to the number of players on the field when at full strength. The number eleven is also important to the world-renowned
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
, with the race traditionally featuring eleven rows of cars and drivers and the first race being held in
1911.
Indy Eleven named former Indiana University standout, U.S. international and English Premier League and Major League Soccer veteran Juergen Sommer as its first Head Coach/Director of Soccer Operations on June 11, 2013.
On October 1, 2013 the team announced
Kristian Nicht as their first signing.
Even though the team did not begin play until the spring 2014 season, the team announced in November 2013 that it had already sold over 7,000 season tickets, and in capping season ticket sales, became the first team in NASL history to have a wait list for season tickets.
["Indy Eleven soccer stadium proposal shelved"](_blank)
Indy Star, March 6, 2014.
The team made its NASL regular-season debut on April 12, 2014, in a 1–1 draw against the
Carolina Railhawks
North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League One, the third tier of the American league system.
The team has played its home games ...
at home in front of 11,048 fans at Carroll Stadium.
On June 2, 2015,
Juergen Sommer
Juergen Peterson Sommer (born February 27, 1969) is an American former professional soccer player and coach. He became the first American goalkeeper to play in the FA Premier League, when he signed to play for Queens Park Rangers in 1995. He h ...
was fired as manager, with
Tim Regan
Tim Regan (born June 27, 1981) is a former American soccer defender.
College
Regan played college soccer at Bradley University from 1999 to 2002, where he established himself as one of the best players in the program's history. After startin ...
taking over in an interim capacity.
Regan's interim role ended on December 2 with
Tim Hankinson
Timothy Milledge Hankinson (February 18, 1955 – September 22, 2022) was an American soccer coach. He initially coached American college teams, before becoming head coach in Major League Soccer, as well as managing teams in Iceland, India, and ...
being appointed as the club's manager.
Indy Eleven won the 2016 Spring Championship after an undefeated season. The team, in a game called "The Miracle at the Mike," overturned a three-goal tiebreaker deficit to secure its first title.
On January 31, 2017, the Eleven announced that they would seek to join
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
during the
league's expansion efforts for teams to join by 2020.
The Eleven were passed over in the initial 2017 bidding.
On November 28, 2017, the Eleven announced that Tim Hankinson would not be returning as manager for the 2018 season.
On January 10, 2018, the Eleven announced they had left the NASL and joined the
United Soccer League
United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...
for the 2018 season.
Martin Rennie was then named as the Eleven's new head coach on January 16.
On March 27, 2020, The Shop Indy teamed up with Indy Eleven to start selling t-shirts with "Indy Eleven Cares" on it. The t-shirts are being sold in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Funds from the t-shirt sells will go to the Community Health Network Foundation's Lisa Borinstein Caregiver Assistance Fund to help employees and caregivers pay for medical expenses, transportation, food, and more.
On June 16, 2021, Indy Eleven and head coach Martin Rennie agreed to mutually part ways after four seasons. Rennie managed 99 matches and was the longest tenured coach in Indy Eleven history.
On November 16, 2021, Indy Eleven named
Mark Lowry
Mark Alan Lowry (born June 24, 1958) is an American singer, comedian, minister and songwriter. He is best known for co-writing the song " Mary, Did You Know?" and being a member of the Gaither Vocal Band from 1988 to 2001, and 2009 to 2013, al ...
as the team's new head coach and fourth in club history.
MLS
Indianapolis became the 12th team to apply for one of four available expansion spots in the MLS, submitting their application just before the January 31, 2017 deadline. However, on November 29, 2017, MLS Commissioner
Don Garber
Donald P. Garber (born October 9, 1957) is an American sports executive who has served as the Commissioner of Major League Soccer since 1999. Garber is also the CEO of Soccer United Marketing and a member of the United States Soccer Federation ...
announced the four finalist cities for the round of expansion and Indianapolis was not among them. Subsequently, Indy Eleven released a statement claiming, "We are planning on being a finalist for the next round of MLS expansion opportunities." Despite Indy Eleven's persistence to establish a stadium deal with the city and a location for the venue, other cities surpassed their efforts and were awarded franchises. This included
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
,
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, and
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, along with a new team in
Austin.
Greg Stremlaw
Greg Stremlaw is a Canadian sports executive who is the president of the Indy Eleven of the United Soccer League. He previously served as CEO of the Canadian Curling Association from 2007 to 2015 and executive director of CBC Sports from 2015 to 2 ...
reiterated after Charlotte was accepted to the MLS in December, 2019, as the league's 30th team, that Indy Eleven is still committed to their bid and believes further expansion will occur. Stremlaw stated, "I think we have a very strong application" and claimed that the ownership group and the bid will stick to the process that they have followed throughout the expansion talks.
Indy Eleven Women
On September 24, 2021, it was announced that Indy Eleven would enter the USL W-League as part of the league's inaugural season. The team was the 17th team to be announced for the amateur women's league.
Record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by Indy. For the full season-by-season history, see
List of Indy Eleven seasons.
1. Avg. Attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top Goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league, league playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Ameri ...
, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
Colors and crest
The name "Eleven" references the eleven men who take to the field representing Indiana and also pays homage to Indiana's
11th Regiment Indiana Infantry in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, while the navy colored checkered background is a nod to both Indianapolis' auto-racing culture and the Brickyard Battalion supporters group. Lady Victory from the
Soldiers' and Sailors' monument is the focal point of the crest. The color scheme is the same as that of the
civic flag of Indianapolis.
Kits
Predominantly red, white and blue, the jerseys unveiled on October 1, 2013, also featured a sublimated checker board pattern paying homage to Indianapolis' rich auto racing heritage centered around the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
. The jerseys were manufactured by
Diadora
Diadora is an Italian sportswear and footwear manufacturing company based in Caerano di San Marco (Veneto), subsidiary of Geox, founded in 1948. Diadora produces football boots and athletic shoes, as well as a range of apparel that includes ...
and
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
was the primary sponsor.
The jerseys used from 2017-2020 were manufactured by
Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
with Honda remaining the sponsor. In 2021, USL entered into an agreement with sports apparel manufacturer
Puma as the leagues official apparel partner. As part of this move, several teams including Indy Eleven changed to Puma as their kit manufacturer.
Sponsorship
Supporters
Brickyard Battalion
The primary
supporters group for the Indy Eleven is the Brickyard Battalion and were established on August 3, 2011. The supporters group has its origins in a
grassroots campaign
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
to elicit local support for bringing professional soccer to Indianapolis. Membership consists of more than 2,000 supporters, with over 4,000 officially registered supporters throughout the state of Indiana; affiliate chapters in the greater Indianapolis area and beyond include, but are not limited to: Slaughterhouse-19 BYB, Battery 37 BYB and Cologne – Germany BYB (an affiliate chapter based in
Cologne, Germany
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...
).
Rivalries
LIPAFC
Indy Eleven first played against
Louisville City FC
Louisville City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Louisville, Kentucky. The team plays in the USL Championship, known through the 2018 season as the United Soccer League (USL), which is currently the second tier of th ...
in the third round of the
2015 U.S. Open Cup
The 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 102nd edition of the oldest ongoing competition in American soccer.
The tournament had teams from all three tiers of men's professional soccer, plus teams from the top amateur leagues in the United State ...
, a game Louisville City won, 2–0. The two clubs would meet again in a series of friendlies the following two seasons, as well as the third round of the
2016 U.S. Open Cup, where Indy would defeat Louisville by a score of 2–1. The arrival of the Eleven to the United Soccer League in 2018 resulted in the two becoming divisional rivals, and was given the unusual title of "''Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest''", or "''LIPAFC''" during the season by both clubs on social media.
Stadium
Indy Eleven play their home matches at
IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium, in
Downtown Indianapolis
Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Ma ...
. The Eleven returned to Carroll Stadium in 2021 after playing their home matches at the nearby
Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the National Football League (NFL)'s Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium was ...
from 2018 to 2020. From their inaugural season in 2014 to 2017, the Eleven played their home matches at Carroll Stadium.
In early 2014, Indy Eleven sought to build a new $87 million stadium with a capacity of 18,500 seats, but were not able to build the political support to finance their plan.
On January 13, 2015, House Bill 1273 was submitted to the Indiana General Assembly, proposing to pay for the stadium by expanding ticket taxes through 2045 instead of ending in 2023 at a projected $5 million per year
In 2018, the club announced that they will play their home matches at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the
Indianapolis Colts. IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium will continue to be used as a secondary venue for if the home matches may need to be moved due to potential scheduling conflicts with Lucas Oil Stadium.
In 2019, the club announced a plan to build
Eleven Park
Eleven Park is a proposed soccer-specific stadium to be constructed on the site of the former Diamond Chain Company facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It would be the home of Indy Eleven, a professional soccer team that plays in ...
, a new $550 million mixed-use development, with a new stadium with a capacity of 20,000 as the centerpiece. This site is planned to include 600 apartments, 150,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail space, and a 200-room hotel. Ersal Ozdemir stated that is "the opportunity to create a vibrant community that will attract individuals and families from near and far to live, work and play." The club is proposing to fund $400 million for the project, with the remaining $150 million being financed through a public-private partnership. In February, 2019, the Indy Eleven ownership asked lawmakers to fund $150 million of a soccer-specific stadium in the city.
On April 8, 2019, the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee unanimously voted to allow Indy Eleven to negotiate a stadium regardless of whether the team is accepted into the MLS or not. This subsequently passed through the senate and Governor
Eric Holcomb
Eric Joseph Holcomb (born May 2, 1968) is an American politician who is the 51st and current governor of Indiana, serving since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 51st lieutenant governor of Indiana from 2016 to 2017 under ...
approved plans to build the stadium.
On January 31, 2020, it was reported that the stadium originally planned to seat 20,000 fans, may be adjusted down to a much smaller crowd of 12,000. Greg Stremlaw noted that the stadium will not be smaller than 12,000 seats and “will be built to ensure we can properly accommodate the fan base associated with leading the USL Championship league, but also be able to expand to all MLS specifications if and as needed."
On February 3, 2021, it was announced by the Eleven that the club would be returning to Carroll Stadium starting with the 2021 season while the new stadium is constructed.
The club announced on June 24, 2022, that it had acquired of land bounded by Kentucky Avenue, West Street, and the
White River and will construct a 20,000 seat multi-purpose stadium starting in spring 2023 and opening in spring 2025. The complex will include apartments, offices, retail, and a hotel and is projected to cost $1 billion. The site in southwest
downtown Indianapolis
Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Ma ...
was formerly the location of the
Diamond Chain
Indianapolis Chain and Stamping Company also known as Diamond is a company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. At one time they supplied bicycle chains for the majority of bicycles produced in the United States.
Background
The company was started i ...
company and was acquired by Ozdemir's Keystone Group, which will handle development of the complex. Upon completion, the stadium itself will be owned by the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board.
Players and staff
Current roster
Team management
Honors
See also
*
List of Indy Eleven records and statistics
References
External links
*
Video of club's NASL introductionVideo of club's jersey unveiling, sponsorship, and first player
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Association football clubs established in 2013
North American Soccer League teams
2013 establishments in Indiana
Sports teams in Indianapolis
Soccer clubs in Indiana
USL Championship teams