School board approves USL Super League Tampa Bay temporarily playing at Blake High School

TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County School Board approved the USL Super League Tampa Bay soccer team starting its season at Blake High School’s soccer stadium in a six to one vote.

"The two questions I get asked is, where are you playing and what’s your name, so I’ve given everyone 50% of those questions," said Christina Unkel, president of the USL Super League Tampa Bay. "Being at Blake Stadium, the heart of Tampa Bay in the heart of the urban core, we’re within a 30-minute drive, there’s two million people who can access the game, it’s just an incredible milestone where people know where we are playing at, where they can go, and how they can make it an experience pre and post, in between the games."

USL Super League Tampa Bay is planning to spend $4 million upgrading a local school's stadium. 

The team said it will pour $4 million into Blake High School’s soccer stadium, increasing its capacity to about 5,000 seats and getting the facility to a professional standard. 

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"It was very important for us to determine whether or not this would be a partnership that would be mutually beneficial and more importantly, for the school, the legacy, and what it can be," explained Unkel.

The upgrades will be permanent at the high school.

The Blake High School stadium is not permanent for the USL Super League team, but it will be for students after the team leaves.

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The professional women’s soccer team anticipates playing in a new stadium within the next three to five years.

Their season begins August 2024.