N.J. is getting a new pro soccer team. It’s part of a $350 million sports district.

Professional soccer is coming to Middlesex County.

New York City FC II — the minor league affiliate for New York City FC's Major League Soccer franchise — will relocate to a new 6,500-seat stadium in Edison, with play beginning in July 2027. The new MLS NEXT Pro team will eventually take on its own name, colors and identity.

The club, which will initially be called New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro, will play at the NEXUS sports and entertainment district on the grounds next to Middlesex College.

New York City FC II, commonly known as NYCFC II , is the reserve team of New York City FC and competes in MLS NEXT Pro, a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada affiliated with the MLS. The league, classified as part of the third tier of the U.S. soccer system, was launched in 2022 to complete the professional player pathway from youth academies to MLS teams.

The league is in its fifth season and has 30 teams — 27 affiliated with MLS clubs and three independent teams. More MLS-affiliated and independent clubs are expected to join in the coming years, including teams in Long Island, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Florida and Grand Rapids, Mich.

As the New York City FC minor league affiliate, NYCFC II provides a pathway for developing players to gain professional experience before potentially advancing to New York City FC's MLS roster. NYCFC II currently plays at Belson Stadium on the campus of St. John's University in Queens, while also hosting a series of matches at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island.

The arrival of professional soccer is part of a broader push by Middlesex County to establish itself as a destination for sports, entertainment and education, officials said.

NEXUS, a $350 million sports and entertainment district that includes a stadium scheduled for a ribbon-cutting later this year, is one piece of a larger county investment that also includes the development of a multipurpose community venue and student center on the Middlesex College campus.

"New Jersey is a soccer state, and we're proud to welcome our newest professional soccer club to Middlesex County and NEXUS,'' New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement. "Starting next summer, New Jerseyans will get to see elite soccer played in our own backyard. Bringing professional soccer to NEXUS gives fans in the heart of our state a team to rally behind while creating new opportunities for athletes and strengthening our state's growing sports economy.''

Not everyone is celebrating, however. State Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, questioned the use of public money to help finance the sports complex.

O'Scanlon said $200 million in state taxpayer dollars and COVID relief funds went toward the project, arguing that the money could have been better directed toward struggling families and businesses and the state's affordability challenges.

"$200 million of taxpayer dollars went into the sports complex home for the soccer team's wealthy owners, including COVID relief money, and this is what we're celebrating, a minor-league soccer team? Families and business suffered during COVID and are struggling with soaring electric bills, property taxes, and daily costs of living,'' O'Scanlon, the Republican state Senate budget officer, said. "Claiming this is a success and hiding the $200 million waste of taxpayer and COVID relief money behind the ribbon cutting is a slap in the face to people who want our state to focus on affordability. Minor-league mentality gets you minor-league results. New Jersey taxpayers deserve better."

The multipurpose venue, being developed as a home field for the Rutgers University baseball team , is scheduled to welcome the Scarlet Knights beginning next year. Plans include broadcast-streaming capabilities suitable for the Big Ten Network.

The New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro club will be the first MLS NEXT Pro team launched under the Hometown Soccer Holdings platform. MLS and investment firm KKR announced a strategic investment in the league in April, creating Hometown Soccer Holdings as a commercial engine intended to help develop new stadiums, establish club brands and improve the fan experience.

The Middlesex County club is the first expansion announcement under that initiative.

"Professional soccer belongs in communities like Middlesex County, New Jersey," said Tom Glick, CEO of Hometown Soccer Holdings. "The county's remarkable diversity, deep soccer culture, and passion for the game make this the right place to build something lasting. We are proud to make New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro our first club under the Hometown Soccer platform and to partner with New York City FC to deliver a world-class experience for fans and families across New Jersey."

For Middlesex County , the new soccer stadium will add another piece to that emerging sports landscape. In addition to the stadium, the complex includes recreational fields, an adjacent plaza and a restaurant and bar. The stadium will feature suites, two upper-level party decks, a premium bar overlooking the field and a large grass hill with a playground designed to give families another place to watch games.

The facility sits within walking distance of NEXUS Fields at Thomas A. Edison Park, a 14-field youth soccer complex expected to become a major tournament destination.

Beginning next year, New York City FC plans to establish a youth soccer club in Middlesex County serving children ages 3 through 18. The youth program will give local players access to New York City FC's coaching methodology and player-development system, according to Brad Sims, CEO of New York City FC.

"New York City FC has always been committed to developing the next generation of local soccer players and fans," Sims said. "We look forward to creating new opportunities for local players to enter the New York City FC development pathway, and building on our legacy of developing top talent."

The pro franchise will connect local youth players to one of MLS's established development systems, according to Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald Rios.

"Bringing professional soccer to Middlesex County, and its almost 900,000 residents, will make us an exciting new sports destination in New Jersey," he said.

At the 2025 stadium groundbreaking, Rios called the project a milestone in the county's Community, Innovation and Opportunity plan, while then-Gov. Phil Murphy said the facility would serve as a hub for learning, recreation, entertainment and community events.

The stadium's location also is expected to make the soccer club accessible beyond Middlesex County. NEXUS is on Route 514 in Edison, approximately two miles from the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Route 287.

New Jersey soccer fans still reeling from this summer's World Cup games at MetLife Stadium can also expect youth tournaments, college and high school games, and community events involving MLS and MLS NEXT Pro players, officials said.

"Fans from across the country will come for the soccer and stay for all the food, shopping, and entertainment that the Heart of New Jersey has to offer,'' Sherrill said. "We're proud to welcome this club to Middlesex County and can't wait to see fans in the stands at NEXUS."

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