MAULDIN — The long-awaited permanent home for Greenville professional soccer has started construction, leaders announced.
Tucked into BridgeWay Station in Mauldin, the multi-use stadium will host its first soccer games in 2026, according to a Sept. 23 news release.
It will be the first permanent location for Greenville Pro Soccer, the ownership group behind the Greenville Triumph men’s team and the Greenville Liberty women’s pre-professional team. The teams have played at other locations around town, including Legacy Early College and Furman University.
“From day one, our goal has been to create an unforgettable matchday experience for Triumph and Liberty fans, and this new stadium delivers on that promise,” Wallace Cheves, Greenville Pro Soccer’s new chairman, said in the news release.
The 6,300-person venue will also host youth and college sports, concerts, festivals, marching band competitions, and community events. Its capacity has been scaled down from the original 8,100 figure that was first pitched to Greenville County officials in 2022.
“This is more than just a home for our teams — it’s a place for families, friends, and fans across the Upstate to come together,” Cheves said.
The architecture will mirror the rest of BridgeWay Station, the combined residential, office and retail development built in an Italian style. A pedestrian bridge that spans Interstate 385 is intended to eventually connect the development with the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
A full price tag for the stadium wasn’t provided, but the stadium will be partly funded with $13.5 million from Greenville Pro Soccer. The city of Mauldin will contribute $4 million, and the state of South Carolina has contributed $10 million. Hughes Investments, developer of BridgeWay Station, provided millions in donated land, in-kind planning, development, and coordination contributions.
“The City of Mauldin is proud to partner in creating a world-class facility that will strengthen our community, drive economic growth, and put Mauldin on the map as a premier destination in South Carolina,” Mayor Terry Merritt said in the news release.
Greenville Pro Soccer is working with the city, schools and businesses to create a plan for parking, pedestrian safety and other operational needs. Once finalized, that plan will be made public.
The news comes less than a week after local businessman and club founder Joe Erwin stepped down from his role as chairman of the board of Greenville Pro Soccer. Cheves, a businessman from the Upstate, was named chairman Sept. 18. He was responsible for bringing Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho into the team’s ownership group, according to a news release.
Greenville Pro Soccer approached Greenville County officials for $14 million in fall 2024, a few years after the county rejected an initial request for funding.
Erwin said construction on the stadium would move forward in 2025 regardless of the county’s participation but that the additional funding would help better accommodate nonathletic events and help attract major events like the NCAA soccer tournament. Since Erwin’s most recent pitch, there hasn’t been any movement on funding from County Council.