Soccer is coming to the Shore and Tropicana Atlantic City is lending a hand.
The Atlantic City Football Club (ACFC) has joined the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as a new expansion team and is partnering with Tropicana casino to bring world class sporting events to the local community.
“Atlantic City is a tremendous market for soccer and we’re glad to have ACFC as part of the NPSL family,” said Joe Barone, NPSL chairman.
The ACFC is the first semi-pro soccer team to represent Atlantic City. The team will operate its program out of nearby Stockton University, which has a natural grass field and bleacher seating for over 2,000 people. The team will be part of the Keystone Conference and will face 9 other teams in their division. With approximately 26 players—mostly college athletes— the ACFC is looking to turn each home game into a community event.
“We want our games to be community events,” Nicholas Bilotta III, the co-owner and COO of the team, said at a recent press conference.
Bilotta emphasized the wider impact of the games, which will include free youth soccer clinics, a food truck festival, a farmer’s market and other music and art exhibits to turn each home match into a family-friendly experience. For the 2018 season, which begins in early May and runs into August if the team makes the playoffs, the club will play 10 to 14 games, with half of them on their home turf. The ACFC is also planning a shuttle service using local jitneys to ferry people the 15 miles from Atlantic City to Stockton.
“We believe the NPSL embodies a lot of what we want to bring to Atlantic City,” said Bilotta. “Successful teams like Detroit City FC, Kingston Stockade, New Orleans Jesters, Elm City Express, and many others offered a tremendous source of inspiration for us. The community focus, the exciting experience, and the player development were all very attractive factors in our decision.”
Tropicana Atlantic City has signed on as the premier corporate sponsor and was instrumental in the team’s creation. Tropicana General Manager Steve Callender has a personal connection to the sport, having been a soccer player and a coach.
“Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the country,” said Callender. “We are happy to bring more fun and excitement to the local community and our guests as a proud sponsor of the Atlantic City FC. “
Along with financial support, Tropicana will house a number of the athletes in their newly acquired Chelsea Tower, as well as assist players in getting local jobs. The casino is also looking for players to host interactive events with their customer base.
Callender said one of the reasons Tropicana was partnering with the team was because the ACFC was “up to speed” on their social media campaigns and it was a good way to enhance both the club and the casino’s brands.
Though no current games are scheduled to be played in Atlantic City, Bilotta said that is something the ACFC would like to do in the near future. The team would like to be part of any redevelopment plans at Bader Field, although right now it is too costly to renovate the closed Surf Stadium to make that a reality. The ACFC hope to showcase their youth soccer clinic with a tournament on the Atlantic City beaches in 2019.
The team has deals to broadcast home games on WOND Radio 1400-AM. Tickets to games will be priced at $11, with one dollar of each ticket sold going to charity.
