JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sporting Jax launched women’s professional soccer in Jacksonville Saturday night, and after battling through weather delays, fans got to witness Jade Pennock score the franchise’s first goal against D.C. Power at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium.
The match, which started around 9:45 p.m. following some storms, marked the culmination of three years of planning by the ownership group.
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It all began in August 2022 when the ownership group of Tim Tebow, Steve Livingstone, Ricky Caplin and Tony Allegretti made the bold announcement.
“This means everything,” Sporting Jax President and CEO Steve Livingstone said. “You see some of the faces on the little kids down there when they get to meet the players as they’re doing the walkouts as escorts. Just giving them an opportunity for girls to look up to something, to have a professional pathway here in our market - that’s what it’s all about.”
Fans made the most of the weather delay by dancing to the music in their new Sporting Jax gear, but things picked up once Pennock found the back of the net in the opening minutes, causing the stadium to break into celebration.
Sporting Jax would end up falling to DC 3-1, but the event still successfully marked Jacksonville’s newest addition to its growing sports landscape.
The team will continue its inaugural season with an away match in Tampa Bay on Saturday before returning to Hodges Stadium on September 6.
The men will begin play in the USL Championship league, with an expected start next year.