Sacramento Republic FC

Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California. They compete in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, which is the second level in US soccer. The team was co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012 and began playing in 2014.

Originally, they played at the 20,231-seat Hughes Stadium but later moved to their current home, Heart Health Park. In 2014, Republic FC won the USL championship and have made the playoffs eight times.

In 2017, the team submitted an expansion bid to join the top level, Major League Soccer. After being acquired by new owners, MLS announced in 2019 that Sacramento Republic would become the 29th team. However, plans to join MLS were delayed and are now being worked on again. The team is also working with the City of Sacramento to build a new stadium as part of the large Railyards urban infill project.

History

On December 3, 2012, USL Pro announced that a new team from Sacramento would join the league for the 2014 season. On July 15, 2013, Predrag "Preki" Radosavljević was named the head coach of the new team. The team's name, Sacramento Republic FC, was chosen by fans and announced on July 18, 2013. By April 2015, the team had sold over 9,500 season tickets.

In 2014, Republic FC played their first game at Hughes Stadium and later moved to their new home, Bonney Field at Cal Expo. They won the USL Championship that year by defeating the Harrisburg City Islanders 2–0. The team finished the regular season in second place and had many exciting moments, including a famous comeback win called "The Miracle at Bonney."

From 2015 to 2021, the team continued to play in the USL. In 2015, the San Francisco 49ers and Sacramento Kings invested in the club. The team made the playoffs several times. In 2019, there were reports that Sacramento Republic FC might join the MLS, but this did not happen right away due to delays, including the COVID-19 pandemic in California. In 2021, the team did not make the playoffs for the first time.

In 2022, the team had a great run in the U.S. Open Cup, becoming the first team outside of Major League Soccer to reach the final since 2008. They faced Orlando City in the final but lost 3–0. This successful run created hope for the team's future, including possibly joining the MLS again with new investors.

Colors and crest

Sacramento Republic FC uses the colors old glory red, maple, and egg shell. Their logo is a classic shield that pays tribute to the Bear Flag. It includes a California grizzly bear, which is the state's official animal and appears on California's flag. The logo also features a nautical star that matches the star on the Bear Flag. Below the bear, you’ll see the motto of Sacramento, "Urbs Indomita", written in Latin. This means "Indomitable City".

Kit

The club showed its first home and away shirts on December 5, 2013. The kit was made by the Italian company Lotto, and UC Davis Children's Hospital was the shirt sponsor until 2016. The home shirt is mainly "Old Glory Red," and the away shirt is mostly white. Both shirts had a dark maroon stripe and the club's crest on the left side of the chest. The club's motto, "Urbs Indomita," was on the right sleeve. A third shirt with horizontal stripes was shown before the 2015 season.

On November 21, 2015, Republic FC started working with Nike and showed new shirts for the 2016 season. The home shirt is still "Old Glory Red," and the away shirt is now white and gray. These new shirts have vertical patterns instead of diagonal stripes and have "Urbs Indomita" written on the back neck.

Supporters

The club's independent supporters' group is called the Tower Bridge Battalion. They got their name from the Tower Bridge, an important bridge in downtown Sacramento that connects to West Sacramento. The Tower Bridge Battalion has a special area in the team's home stadium where they cheer and make noise with large drums, megaphones, and other loud items. They help keep everyone cheering together during the matches.

The Tower Bridge Battalion has also helped organize support for a possible new soccer team in Sacramento that could join a bigger league called Major League Soccer. On September 19, 2014, they led a big crowd through downtown Sacramento to show how many fans there are.

Stadium

Heart Health Park

Main article: Heart Health Park

Sacramento Republic FC was first meant to play at Hughes Stadium, a big multi-purpose venue. But in 2013, they announced plans for a new, smaller soccer stadium at Cal Expo. Because this stadium wasn’t ready in time, the team started their 2014 season at Hughes Stadium. Once the new stadium was finished, they moved there and named it Bonney Field after a local business.

In 2017, the stadium got a new name, Papa Murphy’s Park, and in 2021, it was renamed again to Heart Health Park.

Republic FC Stadium

Main article: Railyards Stadium

Sacramento Republic FC wants to build a bigger, modern stadium downtown as part of plans to join a top soccer league. The design includes unique stands inspired by famous English stadiums. The city approved plans for this stadium in 2015, but construction has been delayed. In 2024, new plans were announced for a 12,000-seat stadium and entertainment area, expected to open in 2028.

Players and technical staff

First-team roster

As of May 11, 2026

Note: Flags show which country's team a player could join, as decided by a group called FIFA. Some players can belong to more than one country outside of these rules.

Technical staff

As of February 23, 2026

Team records

Main article: List of Sacramento Republic FC seasons

Here is a look at some important records for Sacramento Republic FC. You can see how the team did over the last few years and who has helped lead the team.

**^**1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.

**^**2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league, league playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

Honors

Sacramento Republic FC has achieved several notable honors. They won the USL Championship in 2014 and the USL Championship Western Conference (Regular Season) in 2016. The team has also made it to the USL Playoffs eleven times.

In domestic cup competitions, they were runners-up in the U.S. Open Cup in 2022 and in the USL Cup in 2025.