“We brought the … 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays. Led by Majority Owner Tom Dickson, President Nick Grueser and Vice President and General Manager Jeremy Sampson, the club becomes the only professional outdoor soccer team in Michigan. "For Lansing Ignite, that responsibility rests with Tom Dickson, and I … In 2018, United moved from NPSL to the Premier Development League, another amateur league often considered the fourth tier of American soccer. Lansing, Michigan’s professional soccer team, Lansing Ignite, announced Monday that the club will not continue after its inaugural 2019 season. LANSING, Mich. — Yes Club Ignite Prize Package Giveaway. Co-Owner at IGNITE BASEBALL ACADEMY. Seeing how Lansing United folded after five seasons to create room for Ignite, and then only to have Ignite owner Tom Dickson pull the plug on … It was upsetting on that aspect.". "I … USL senior vice president Steven Short said in a press release that the league was "disappointed" that Lansing would not return in 2020. Kirk is also a former professional soccer player, who most recently played for Lansing Ignite during their inaugural season. The professional soccer club had played one season at Cooley Law School Stadium in downtown Lansing. "Most of us thought, opening night, the place was going to be sold out. The Michigan-based side had an excellent season, finishing second in the 10-team league. ... Maybe that was unrealistic. Saint Joseph's University. We put in a lot of work and effort to build this thing up," Fricke said. "Everyone I've spoken with has said, who would've expected a good financial outcome after year one? In the buildup to Lansing's inaugural season, team president Nick Grueser said the club would need an average home attendance of 4,000 for it to be financially stable. The club was backed by owner Tom Dickson, who also owns Cooley Law School Stadium’s Minor League Baseball tenant, the Lansing Lugnuts (Low A; Midwest League). "I've been around the game enough to know that clubs in lower divisions aren't money generators and that's why it almost doesn't quite make sense.". "This team has captured the hearts of so many people throughout Lansing. "I couldn't get anyone else to step in and say, I want to be a part of this.". Both the player and team owner Tom Dickson have apologized for what he said. "We thought 4,000 should be a laydown," Dickson said. Team President Nick Grueser said that the team would not give an update on the team's future until after the conclusion of the League One final. EAST LANSING, Mich. – Goodbye Lansing United. Hello Lansing Ignite. "The owner of the organization is the ultimate decision-maker," Sampson told the State Journal. Back in October, the Lansing Ignite FC was unveiled to the masses by an ensemble of familiar faces, including Mayor Andy Schor and Lansing Lugnuts and Ignite FC owner Tom Dickson. It was an honor to work in your city.". In their lone season, the Ignite finished in second place in USL League One with 46 points, qualifying for the playoffs. For Lansing Ignite, that responsibility rests with Tom Dickson, and I am devastated at the outcome. "We didn't have the resources to lose that much money for that long. The Ignite played in USL League One, the third division of American soccer. In a press release, Mayor Andy Schor said he was disappointed in learning that the Ignite had ceased operations. [1], In September 2018, the Lansing State Journal reported that the owners of the Lansing Lugnuts, a local minor league baseball team, had presented plans to Lansing City Council for a professional soccer team to play at Cooley Law School Stadium, also home to the Lugnuts. "We are very pleased to … Dickson did not go into specifics regarding how much money he lost, but he said revenue came at about half of what was expected. Saint Joseph's University. This season was the first ever for Lansing Ignite FC. Includes USL Regular Season, USL Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup. People are going to come to what they want to come to. [2] On October 8, the city council unanimously approved the plans, which are expected to cost the city $1 million over the course of a five-year contract. The Lansing Ignite, a minor league soccer team, ceased operations this week after falling short of targeted 4,000 attendance benchmarks in its only season. At first, we weren’t concerned, but we knew we needed to make some changes to try to attract more people. [4] On November 14, 2018, Lansing Ignite FC announced Nate Miller as the inaugural head coach. Contact digital sports reporter Phil Friend at 517-377-1220 or pfriend@lsj.com. Lansing Ignite team owners told players last week in a meeting that they would stop operations this year. Mayor Andy Schor and Tom Dickson, the owner of the Lansing Lugnuts and the recently formed Lansing Ignite soccer team, will orchestrate the big reveal with “drinks and prizes” at 4 p.m. I would rather have tried and failed than to have never tried at all. For Lansing's home opener against the Richmond Kickers on April 13, Dickson said the expectation was somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 fans. View profile View profile badges Get a job like Lansing’s. I’m devastated at the outcome as this team was something I spent six years building. Dickson, the team’s owner, did not go into specific financial details when meeting with the media Monday afternoon, but he said the decision to fold the city’s professional soccer team came a month ago. Tampa, FL – Lansing Ignite FC announced today that it has ceased operations, effective immediately, and will not continue beyond the 2019 season. When City Council signed off on the deal to bring the Ignite to Lansing last fall, it was understood that the city would incur more than $1 million in potential costs over five years, including a maximum of 15 changeovers per year with the Cooley field, going from baseball to soccer and back, costing $12,000 to $15,000 each time. "For this to be a financial decision, there's either some miscommunication or disregard for the facts regarding the finances," Fricke said. But information about the event — billed to be the “biggest sports announcement in Lansing in 23 years” — is largely unavailable to the public. We really thought it would do better. your password Lansing Ignite; 2019 season; Owner: Tom Dickson: Head coach: Nate Miller: Stadium: Cooley Law School Stadium: USL League One: 2nd: USL1 Playoffs: Semifinals: U.S. Open Cup: 2nd Round: Top goalscorer: Tumi Moshobane (10) Highest home attendance: League/All: 4,818 (June 22 vs. Orlando City B) Lowest home attendance: League: 1,725 (May 11 vs. Greenville Triumph) All: 100 The owner is the ultimate decision maker. Tom Dickson made one thing clear: The decision to fold Lansing Ignite Football Club after one season came down to how much money the team was losing on a month-to-month basis. "We are extremely disappointed to make this announcement, and we know our fans will be disappointed too," Ignite owner Tom Dickson said in a statement. Top Scorer includes statistics from league matches only. The 2019 Lansing Ignite FC season was the only season for the club. players and the team's supporters' group, the Assembly Line, had been told the team would fold, Why Lansing Ignite went belly-up – a look at what killed our pro soccer club, club would need an average home attendance of 4,000, lost in the semifinals, 1-0, to Greenville, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Log into your account. Going into this season, Dickson and the organization anticipated that there could be financial losses, but the Ignite ultimately encountered more challenges than expected and fell short of its goal of drawing 4,000 fans per game. The new soccer team comes after the semi-professional soccer team Lansing United played its last season this past summer. Attendance started a little slow and it didn’t get better," Dickson said. “We were concerned at different points in the season as the season continued. 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