Tucson – FC Tucson announced Tuesday that the team will join USL League Two for the 2023 season. In addition, Benevolent Sports Tucson has transferred ownership of the team to a group led by FC Tucson founder and head coach Jon Pearlman.
The self-relegation to the fourth tier comes on the heels of a 10th place finish in USL League One and low attendance figures due to the lingering affects of the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple weather issues over the 2022 season. Pearlman’s ownership group will retain the club’s USL League One rights, with an apparent plan to return to the third tier once a long-term stadium solution has been secured.
In the team’s statement, Pearlman said:
“It is important to the Tucson soccer and business community to build upon our successes, and the best way to do that is to field a League Two with the intent to return the club to the professional ranks in the near future. We are committed to finding a viable stadium solution, which is key to building a successful, sustainable professional club. I have been involved in soccer in this community for nearly three decades, and I am dedicated to seeing FC Tucson continue to be an integral part of Tucson’s storied sports landscape.”
FC Tucson News Release, October 18, 2022
FC Tucson was one of the founding members of USL League One and joined for the inaugural season in 2019. Their best finish came in 2021 when they made the semifinals of the league playoffs before falling to eventual champion Union Omaha. Previously they played in the semi-professional Premier Development League, which became known as USL League Two in 2019.