Professional soccer is coming back to Reno or at least, that is the plan. Reno Pro Soccer is aiming to bring a professional soccer team back to Northern Nevada while also building a soccer-specific stadium in Reno. On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the organization will officially reveal the team’s name and colors during an event at Reno Public Market. The event is scheduled for 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. After years of attempts to bring professional soccer back to Reno, this feels like it could finally be the moment when something actually happens. But I am still skeptical. And honestly, I think it is fair to be skeptical. It has been a roller coaster getting to this point. Reno previously had professional soccer with Reno 1868 FC of the United Soccer League Championship. The team folded in 2020, leaving Reno without professional soccer and creating a massive hole for local soccer fans. Since then, there have been multiple efforts to bring professional soccer back to the city. There have been proposals, ideas, discussions and potential projects, but nothing has really materialized. Until now. Reno Pro Soccer is the latest (and potentially most serious) attempt to bring the sport back. The organization has laid out plans for a soccer-specific stadium and a United Soccer League team, and now we are finally getting to the point where the public will learn what that team is actually going to be called. That is exciting. But anyone who has followed development and sports projects in Reno knows why I remain cautious. When it comes to sports teams, stadiums and major infrastructure projects in Reno, I have developed a simple philosophy: I’ll believe it when it is complete. Reno has seen countless projects announced that never ultimately materialized. Some have made it much further than others, only to disappear or change dramatically along the way. Because of that history, I am not going to celebrate a new stadium as though it already exists. I want it to happen. I really do. I want professional soccer back in Reno. I think a soccer-specific stadium could be a great addition to the community. It could give local soccer fans a permanent home, create another professional sports option in the area and provide a venue specifically designed around the sport rather than trying to force soccer into a facility built for something else. But wanting something to happen and believing it will happen are two very different things.
I want Reno 1868 FC back. There is another part of this that makes things complicated for me. More than anything, I want Reno 1868 FC to return. It is difficult for me to imagine supporting a professional soccer team in Reno that isn’t Reno 1868 FC. I was on board with Reno 1868 FC from the beginning when the team was originally announced. The name had meaning. It was connected to Reno. It felt like it belonged here. So while I am excited about the possibility of professional soccer returning, I am also nervous about what comes next. A big part of that nervousness comes down to one thing: The name matters. It is incredibly easy to mess up a sports team name. A name can either feel like something that naturally belongs to a community or something that was created in a boardroom and slapped onto a jersey. Once a team commits to a name, it becomes incredibly difficult to undo it. That is why I am paying so much attention to what Reno Pro Soccer does next.
So far, most of what we have seen from Reno Pro Soccer has come through social media. At this stage, it is difficult to determine whether the entire project is going to work based solely on social media posts. Social media obviously isn’t the same thing as running a professional sports organization, building a stadium or operating a successful team. It is also the first impression. Unfortunately, my first impression hasn’t been great. There has been a lot of criticism surrounding Reno Pro Soccer’s use of artificial intelligence. Almost everything they post appears to use AI in some way, and that has definitely turned some people away. That is not what you want when you are trying to build excitement around a new professional sports team. You want people to be excited. You want people to connect with the organization. You want potential fans to look at what you are putting out and think, I want to be a part of this. Instead, the heavy use of AI has become one of the things people are talking about. Personally, I find it disappointing. I actively avoid sports accounts that rely heavily on AI for their content. There is something about constantly seeing AI-generated imagery and content from a sports organization that makes the whole thing feel less genuine. My biggest criticism isn’t necessarily that they are using AI. It is what the use of AI makes me wonder about. If an organization is willing to cut corners there, what else are they willing to cut corners on? That is where this becomes bigger than simply not liking an AI-generated image. To me, it raises questions about the integrity of the organization. How much do they really care? How much are they willing to invest? Are they willing to put the time, money and effort into making this project something special? Maybe Reno Pro Soccer will build an incredible organization and an incredible stadium. When almost everything you are showing potential fans is AI-generated, it can create the perception that you are taking shortcuts. When you are trying to build the foundation of a professional sports franchise, perception matters. Beyond that, I simply think it is a disingenuous eyesore. For me, the only thing Reno Pro Soccer has put out that I have genuinely liked is the initial announcement. Outside of that, I have been disappointed with what they have produced so far. That doesn’t mean I want the project to fail. Quite the opposite. I want it to succeed. I want it to succeed the right way.
Reno 1868 FC makes so much sense That brings me back to the biggest question surrounding the team: Why not Reno 1868 FC? The name Reno 1868 FC already has history. The team was named after the year Reno, Nevada, was founded. That gives the name a direct connection to the city and its history. It isn’t an arbitrary number. It isn’t a generic nickname. It means something. Bringing back Reno 1868 FC would also show a commitment to the legacy of the people who helped build Reno’s soccer culture in the first place. The foundation already exists. Why build an entirely new foundation when there is already one sitting there? Bringing back the Reno 1868 FC name would immediately connect the new team to the fans who supported the original club. It would acknowledge the history of professional soccer in Reno instead of pretending the previous team never existed. Perhaps most importantly, it would show a commitment to the existing soccer culture in the community. The name is also available for Reno Pro Soccer to use. The United Soccer League already owns the rights to Reno 1868 FC. The opportunity is sitting right there.
The colors don’t matter as much as the name. One argument I have heard (or could see being made) is that bringing back Reno 1868 FC would mean bringing back the old branding. I don’t think that is necessarily true. The colors can change. In soccer, colors aren’t necessarily as restrictive as people might think. Clubs regularly introduce new colors, alternate jerseys and entirely different looks while retaining their primary identity. The name Reno 1868 FC gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility. You could completely change the visual identity while keeping the name. For example, Reno 1868 FC could incorporate wolf imagery without ever having to officially call the team the Wolves. Maybe the club uses a wolf as a secondary logo or mascot. Maybe mountain lions become part of the visual identity later. Maybe another element of the region becomes important. The name doesn’t lock you into one particular animal or concept. That is one of the biggest advantages of Reno 1868 FC. If you call the team the Reno Wolves, you are committing to wolves. If you eventually decide that mountain lions better represent Reno, you have a problem. You would either have to abandon the name or create a confusing disconnect between the name and the branding. With Reno 1868 FC, you have room to evolve. You can change the branding elements without having to completely rebrand the team. That flexibility is incredibly valuable.
There is one thing I absolutely don’t want. Regardless of what name they announce, there is one thing I absolutely do not want to see: Branding that looks too similar to Sacramento Republic FC or the Las Vegas Lights FC. Those two clubs will inevitably be among Reno’s biggest rivals because of geography. Sacramento and Las Vegas are the nearby professional soccer markets. Whether Reno 1868 FC returns or Reno Pro Soccer chooses an entirely new identity, those regional rivalries are going to develop naturally. That makes originality even more important. I don’t want Reno to look like a knockoff of Sacramento. I don’t want Reno to look like a knockoff of Las Vegas. I don’t want the team to settle for branding that feels generic simply because it is easy. Reno deserves its own identity. The team should look like Reno. It should feel like Reno. most importantly, it should give people a reason to be proud to support it.
I am excited, but still on the fence. That is ultimately where I am right now. I am excited. I am also nervous. I want professional soccer to return to Reno. I want a soccer-specific stadium. I want the community to have another professional sports team. I want local soccer fans to have something they can call their own. I also have a lot of questions. Reno has a long history of projects that never quite make it to the finish line, so I am not going to treat this as a done deal until the stadium is actually built and the team is actually playing. Even if the project does make it that far, I still need to see what kind of organization Reno Pro Soccer is going to be. The name and colors being announced on September 9th will be a major first step. For me, though, it is also going to be a test. I was ready to support Reno 1868 FC from day one. I am not at that point with Reno Pro Soccer. I am still on the fence. Maybe the name they reveal will change that. Maybe the branding will finally give Reno soccer fans something to get excited about. Maybe the organization will prove that my concerns about AI, investment and authenticity were completely misplaced. I hope so. Because at the end of the day, I don’t want Reno Pro Soccer to fail. I want professional soccer back in Reno. I just want it to be Reno’s professional soccer team. For me, there is still no better foundation for that than Reno 1868 FC.
Zac Electrifly 
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