Reno 1868 FC

Reno 1868 FC was an American professional soccer team based in Reno, Nevada. Founded in 2015, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in March 2017 and ceased operations after the 2020 season.

Reno 1868 FC
Full nameReno 1868 Football Club[1]
FoundedSeptember 15, 2015 (2015-09-15)
DissolvedNovember 6, 2020 (2020-11-06)
StadiumGreater Nevada Field
Capacity9,013
OwnerHerbert Simon
Head coachIan Russell
LeagueUSL Championship

History

Previously, northern Nevada has had three other professional minor league soccer teams: Reno Rattlers, Northern Nevada Aces, and Nevada Wonders. Nevertheless, Reno now has a large youth soccer base and growing popularity of the sport. On September 16, 2015, USL announced that they would expand to Reno, Nevada starting in 2017. The club would be owned by Herbert Simon.[2]

To generate interest and increased fan involvement with a successful acquisition of a team, the new "USL Reno 2017" team would be named through a contest. Over 5,300 entries were submitted during a lengthened initial contest portion, followed by fans choosing from amongst the top six names: Reno FC, FC Reno, Reno Silver FC, Reno City FC, Reno United, or Reno 1868. The fans response refined the contest down to three finalists—Reno FC, Reno United, and Reno 1868—with the winner being Reno 1868 Football Club, a nod to the founding year of the City of Reno.[3]

On June 29, 2016, Reno 1868 announced a two-year partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS. It was also stated that San Jose would have control over the technical side of the club.[4] The team hired Earthquakes Assistant Coach Ian Russell as Head Coach on November 22, 2016.[5] On February 10, 2018, San Jose and Reno announced an extension of their affiliate partnership deal through the end of the 2019 season, with an option for the 2020 season.[6] The club won their first playoff match on October 20, 2018, in an away match at Real Monarchs.[7]

On November 6, 2020, the club announced it was ceasing operations as a result of the financial and operational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

Colors and crest

The colors of Reno 1868 FC were Nevada cobalt blue, silver grey, and light gold, all colors featured on the flag of Nevada. "With all home matches played on green grass, all of the colors of the flag will be represented on matchdays in Reno."[9] Similar to the naming of the club, the color choices were fan-driven.

Reno 1868's crest was released on May 25, 2016,[10] with the first kit being released on June 11, 2016.[11] SpineNevada, a local spine care facility, was the kit sponsor for the first two years before Reno Orthopedic Clinic ("ROC") took over sponsorship in 2019.

Kit suppliers and sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2017–2018 Adidas SpineNevada
2019–2020 Reno Orthopedic Clinic (ROC)

Stadium

Reno 1868 FC played its home matches at Greater Nevada Field in Reno, Nevada, also home to the Reno Aces of the Pacific Coast League. Greater Nevada Field (formerly known as Aces Ballpark) is a 9,013-seat natural grass stadium.[12]

Team records

Year-by-year
Season USL Championship Play-offs U.S. Open Cup Top Scorer 1 Head Coach
P W L D GF GA Pts Pos Player Goals
2017 32 17 7 8 75 39 59 3rd, Western Conference Quarterfinals 3R Jamaica Dane Kelly 18 United States Ian Russell
2018 34 16 7 11 56 38 59 5th, Western Conference Semifinals 3R Jamaica Brian Brown 16
2019 34 16 10 6 72 51 60 2nd, Western Conference Quarterfinals 3R United States Corey Hertzog 18
2020 16 11 2 3 43 21 36 1st, Group A Conference Semifinals Canceled United States Foster Langsdorf 10

^ 1. Top Scorer includes statistics from league matches only.

Head coaches
  • Includes USL Regular season, USL Play-offs and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
CoachNationalityTenureGamesWinLossDrawWin %
Ian Russell  United States November 22, 2016–November 6, 2020 130 66 34 30 050.77

Average attendance
YearRegular seasonPlayoffs
2017 5,559 4,342
2018 5,066 —
2019 4,313 3,275

References
  1. "Reno 1868 Football Club (FC) as the official name". Reno 1868 FC. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  2. "USL Announces 2017 Expansion Club in Reno". www.uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  3. "USL Reno 2017 Name the Team". www.uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  4. "Reno 1868 FC, San Jose Earthquakes agree to two-year affiliation". www.reno1868fc.com. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  5. "1868 FC Unveils Russell as First Head Coach". uslsoccer.com. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  6. "NEWS: Earthquakes Extend Affiliate Partnership with Reno 1868 FC". San Jose Earthquakes. February 2, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  7. "RENO 1868 FC WINS FIRST PLAYOFF MATCH IN CLUB HISTORY, ADVANCES TO CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS". Reno 1868. October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  8. "Reno 1868 FC Ceases Operation Due To Pandemic". KUNR Public Radio. November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  9. "Reno 1868 FC unveils team colors". reno1868fc.com. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  10. "History in the Making as Liverpool FC U21s Visits Reno". reno1868fc.com. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  11. "Reno 1868 FC Unveils Inaugural Jerseys". uslsoccer.com. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  12. "Greater Nevada Field". Reno 1868 FC. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
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