Events planned for Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center
A date hasn’t been revealed for the opening of the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, but it appears the first events at the center in Fayetteville will involve camps for some of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s youth teams and extended national teams.
The USSF Board of Directors convened during its annual general meeting Friday at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in downtown Atlanta.
The camps at the NTC are scheduled to take place in May. The extended camp will be part of its “ADAPTandTHRIVE” initiative. The NTC includes courts, specialized locker rooms, fields and other elements needed to accommodate all of the extended teams, as well as the youth and senior teams. There are 27 teams.
The $200 million NTC, named for Blank because of his $50 million donation, remains on budget and on schedule, according to the board.
“It’ll be a showcase for our sport,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who is a USSF board member.
The opening date may be revealed at Saturday’s national council meeting.
The two events were among the highlights of the past year noted during the board of directors meeting. Progress toward accomplishing the “In Service to Soccer” strategy to grow the game throughout the country will be revealed Saturday, CEO JT Batson said.
The strategy’s goals are for all of its teams to win major tournaments (including men’s World Cups), for every one to feel ownership of the sport and for it to become the No. 1 played sport in the U.S. “In Service to Soccer” was launched in 2023.
Among its goals was to raise $250 million in the next five years. The board reported that it has surpassed $170 million in less than two years. Revenue projections are expected to increase by 25% by the end of the USSF’s fiscal year.
Increases also were made in attempts to increase the talent pool for all teams. More than 1,700 players were called into youth camps last year, an increase from less than 700 in 2024. More than 8,000 players were scouted, an increase from the more than 6,000 last year.
“Never have I been more excited about (the) future of U.S. Soccer and soccer in the U.S. than I am right now,” USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone said.
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