GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- The new professional soccer team in Grand Rapids won't play its first game in the Major League Soccer NEXT Pro League until the spring of 2027.
But the team is making steady progress in shaping the franchise. In September, it announced that the club would be called "AC Grand Rapids," which is short for Athletic Club Grand Rapids.
And now, AC Grand Rapids will introduce its team president at an event Saturday morning in Gaines Charter Township. According to a media advisory, that will be in Brewer Park, at 399 84th St. SE, which is a regional soccer hub in West Michigan. The announcement will come at an inaugural youth soccer tournament titled the OOSA Classic 2025. {See news release at bottom of this story}
Team chairman and CEO David Van Andel will speak. He and his family are the majority owners of the franchise. And two-time Olympic soccer gold medalist Lindsay Tarpley of Kalamazoo will make some remarks, as well. She is a former NCAA champion and a former pro player.
Per Wikipedia, Tarpley attended Portage Central High School, which reached the soccer team there reach the state semi-finals in her first year, and win the state championship the following (undefeated) season. In college, while at North Carolina, Tarpley led the nation in total points during her sophomore season, and led the Tar Heels to the 2003 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.
AC Grand Rapids provided a written statement in a media advisory: "This announcement marks the next big milestone as Grand Rapids becomes home to its first MLS NEXT Pro team. The president will be a key player in guiding the launch and development of the AC Grand Rapids team leading up to its inaugural season kickoff in 2027."
The men's professional soccer team is scheduled to begin its inaugural season in the spring of 2027 at the Amway Stadium that is being built downtown. It will compete in the MLS NEXT Pro League. Here are more details from a news release:
About MLS NEXT Pro
Launched in 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT to MLS first teams. MLS NEXT Pro continues to grow the game through innovation and inclusion, bringing professional soccer to new communities and creating opportunities both on and off the field. MLS NEXT Pro celebrates its fourth season in 2025 with 29 teams, 27 MLS-affiliated and two independent, Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC. Additional MLS-affiliated and independent clubs will join in the years ahead, including Cleveland, Jacksonville Armada FC, Connecticut United FC and AC Grand Rapids. MLS NEXT Pro matches are broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV as part of the groundbreaking partnership between Apple and MLS. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.
-----News release on OOSA Soccer Tournament--
The inaugural OOSA Classic will kick off this Friday, Nov. 7 at Brewer Park in Byron Center, with the youth soccer tournament and family-friendly activities opening to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
Presented by The Soccer Rebellion and AC Grand Rapids, in collaboration with the U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA), the OOSA Classic is a first-of-its-kind celebration of soccer, culture and connection.
“The fields at Brewer Park will become a canvas for families, youth players, and neighborhoods to show that when we play together, we rise together,” said Michael Dublis, founder and CEO of The Soccer Rebellion. “This is more than a tournament — it’s a living expression of what makes this place special.”
The event is free to attend and will be open to the public on Saturday, Nov. 8 and Sunday, Nov. 9, with tournament play starting at 7:30 a.m. and the last games beginning at 4:30 p.m. each day.
An exciting program at 10 a.m. Saturday kicks off with a conversation with two-time Olympic Gold medalist in soccer and USWNT veteran, Lindsay Tarpley, and wraps up with a team milestone announcement by AC Grand Rapids Owner, Chairman and CEO, David Van Andel.
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Photo: Photos from: Truscott Rossman.