Indy Eleven is an American professional soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 2014, before moving to the United Soccer League (USL) in 2018. The franchise plays its home games at IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium, with a new stadium in the city's downtown district under construction.
History
Thanks in part to efforts from a grassroots soccer organization known as the Brickyard Battalion, on January 16, 2013, the NASL announced that an Indianapolis expansion team owned by Ersal Ozdemir, CEO of Keystone Group LLC, would join the league in 2014. Ozdemir named Peter Wilt as the team's first president and general manager, after the veteran American soccer executive had served in a consulting role to explore the viability of professional soccer in Indianapolis in the three months leading up to the January 2013 announcement.
The name and club colors were officially revealed to the public on April 25, 2013, during a ceremony held at Indianapolis' Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. The team was named after the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment that served with notoriety in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Colonel Lew Wallace commanded the regiment, which was mustered on April 25, 1861. The team name reflects both the culture of the game and pays homage to the history of the state. The number also is an obvious reference to the number of players on the field when at full strength. The number eleven is also important to the world-renowned Indianapolis 500, with the race traditionally featuring eleven rows of cars and drivers and the first race being held in 1911.
Indy Eleven named former Indiana University standout and U.S. international, English Premier League, and Major League Soccer (MLS) veteran Juergen Sommer as its first head coach/director of soccer operations on June 11, 2013. On October 1, 2013 the team announced Kristian Nicht as their first signing.
Even though the team did not begin play until the spring 2014 season, the team announced in November 2013 that it had already sold over 7,000 season tickets, and in capping season ticket sales, became the first team in NASL history to have a wait list for season tickets.
The team made its NASL regular-season debut on April 12, 2014, in a 1–1 draw against the Carolina Railhawks at home in front of 11,048 fans at Carroll Stadium.
On June 2, 2015, Sommer was fired as manager, with Tim Regan taking over in an interim capacity. Regan's interim role ended on December 2 with Tim Hankinson being appointed as the club's manager.
Indy Eleven won the 2016 Spring Championship after an undefeated season. The team, in a game called "The Miracle at the Mike," overturned a three-goal tiebreaker deficit to secure its first title.
On January 31, 2017, the Eleven announced that they would seek to join Major League Soccer during the league's expansion efforts for teams to join by 2020. The Eleven were passed over in the initial 2017 bidding.
On November 28, 2017, the Eleven announced that Tim Hankinson would not be returning as manager for the 2018 season.
On January 10, 2018, the Eleven announced they had left the NASL and joined the United Soccer League for the 2018 season. Martin Rennie was then named as the Eleven's new head coach on January 16.
On March 27, 2020, The Shop Indy teamed up with Indy Eleven to start selling t-shirts with "Indy Eleven Cares" on it in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds from the t-shirt sells would go to the Community Health Network Foundation's Lisa Borinstein Caregiver Assistance Fund to help employees and caregivers pay for medical expenses, transportation, food, and more.
On June 16, 2021, Indy Eleven Rennie mutually agreed to part ways after four seasons. Rennie managed 99 matches and was the longest tenured coach in Indy Eleven history.
On November 16, 2021, Indy Eleven named Mark Lowry as the team's new head coach and fourth in club history.