Atlantic City Football Club Joins the National Premier Soccer League
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Dec. 21, 2017) – The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) announced today that the Atlantic City Football Club (ACFC) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the Northeast Region’s Keystone Conference. ACFC, sponsored by Tropicana Atlantic City, will be led by seasoned sports professionals including Research Producer for DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket Andrew Weilgus and Co-founder of QuizzoTrivia.com and Atlantic City Fantasy Sports Nicholas Bilotta III.
“We are very excited to see the continued growth of our Keystone Conference with a great addition like Atlantic City FC,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “Atlantic City is a tremendous market for soccer and we’re glad to have ACFC as part of the NPSL family.”
“Atlantic City FC will offer a truly unique destination within the Keystone Conference,” said Andrew Weilgus. “Although Atlantic County has roughly 250,000 full-time residents, our island draws 20 million tourists a year and has world-wide brand recognition. Our partnership with the Tropicana Atlantic City will allow for an amazing destination experience for soccer fans; we enter the NPSL as the only minor league sports organization in Atlantic City. Our primary goal is to give our area something to rally behind and root for while doing our part to properly grow the game domestically for the benefit of our national team. We have a lot of underserved sections of Atlantic County and we hope to assist in providing them support and growth.”
The club is enthusiastic about finalizing arrangements to hold home matches at Stockton University, located in the heart of Atlantic County and roughly 15 miles from downtown Atlantic City.
“We believe the NPSL embodies a lot of what we want to bring to Atlantic City,” said ACFC Co-Owner/ Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Bilotta III. “Successful teams like Detroit City FC, Kingston Stockade, New Orleans Jesters, Elm City Express, and many others offered a tremendous source of inspiration for us. The community focus, the exciting experience, and the player development were all very attractive factors in our decision.”
Stockton University’s soccer program is storied, having won the 2001 NCAA Division III Men’s National Championship along with several other honors for the men’s and women’s programs. The field is a stunning natural grass pitch with bleacher seating for over 2,000 people. Additional areas will be set up for corporate sponsors with prime viewing. Game day plans include free youth soccer clinics, a farmers’ market, food truck festival, and hospitality garden along with regional musicians and artists.
“We really want to bring Atlantic City and Stockton together as a community and this offers the perfect chance to do that,” said Paul Kelly, ACFC media director and a Stockton graduate.
Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian added, “Since 2009 we have been without a sports team of our own…until now. I can tell you from personal experience that soccer really has become a popular sport here in Atlantic City, and it’s a great move by Tropicana to be fully supporting this new sports team. The Atlantic City FC will bring national recognition and economic infusion to the area. We’re thrilled to be able to root for the home team once again.”
The team has deals to be carried on local and regional radio and will offer Spanish and English broadcasts. “We want our area to know that this will be more than a soccer game it will be a community event with things the entire family can enjoy,” added Bilotta.
ACFC sponsor, Tropicana Atlantic City was instrumental in the team’s creation.
“Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the country. We are happy to bring more fun and excitement to the local community and our guests as a proud sponsor of the Atlantic City FC,” said Tropicana Atlantic City General Manager Steve Callender.
“Our partnership with Tropicana Atlantic City allows for a first class experience for our players who will be housed at the resort’s newly acquired Chelsea Tower. We also have several additional partnerships with area businesses and organizations including the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce and we look forward to bringing positive results on and off the field to Atlantic County,” concluded Weilgus.
For more information about the Atlantic City Football Club visit AtlanticCityFC.com or follow the club on Instagram (@AtlanticCityFC), Facebook (@AtlanticCityFC), and Twitter (@AtlanticCityFC). For information about sponsorship opportunities contact Andrew or Nick at info@atlanticcityfc.com, 844-KICK-ACE (542-5223).
About Atlantic City Football Club
Atlantic City Football Club is owned by the Atlantic City Sports Club LLC and led by Co-Owner/President Andrew Weilgus, Co-Owner/ Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Bilotta III, Head Coach Kristian O’Leary, Technical Director Jeremiah White III, Media Director Paul Kelly, and Team Doctor Dr. Damon Greene.
Weilgus is currently a research producer for DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket and a serial entrepreneur. He is a lifelong soccer fan with a strong background in area partnerships and brand marketing. As the founder of QuizzoTrivia.com and Atlantic City Fantasy Sports, he has promoted popular events at multiple Atlantic City casinos as well as dozens of area venues.
Bilotta is the co-founder of QuizzoTrivia.com and Atlantic City Fantasy Sports. As a passionate sports fan and entrepreneur, Bilotta brings a unique perspective on marketing the world’s game to the U.S. market.
O’Leary played professional football for Swansea City from 1995-2010. After his career, which included over 300 appearances at Swansea, O’Leary began his coaching career first as manager of Welsh Premier League side Neath FC and then back with Swansea City FC first as second team manager and eventually first team assistant head coach. White is one of the most successful soccer athletes to have emerged from the metro Philadelphia area. He has been capped with the U.S. Men’s National Team and completed a distinguished professional career on the international stage in Serbia, Greece, France, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Poland and with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS). He was ACC Player of the Year at Wake Forest University where he was also a three-time All American and All-ACC selection, including leading the ACC in scoring in his sophomore year.
For more information about the Atlantic City Football Club visit AtlanticCityFC.com or follow the club on Instagram (@AtlanticCityFC), Facebook (@AtlanticCityFC), and Twitter (@AtlanticCityFC).
About The National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is the largest organized men’s soccer league in the United States with 96 teams competing across the country in 2017. The NPSL is a successor to the Men’s Premier Soccer League (MPSL), which was formed in 2002. The NPSL is a member league of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and sanctioned by U.S. Soccer, the governing body of soccer in all its forms in the United States. NPSL’s cooperative and turnkey ownership platform has led to its explosive growth, countless player development opportunities, and commitment to grow the game in the United States. For more information about the NPSL visit npsl.com.
Contact:
Andrew Weilgus, Atlantic City Football Club
info@atlanticcityfc.com
844-KICK-ACE (542-5223)
Diane Spiers, Tropicana Atlantic City
Nadya Ramos, Tropicana Atlantic City
nramos@tropicana.net
(609) 340-4203
