"This is an exciting time for South Georgia soccer fans, as we prepare to join USL Division III and bring professional soccer to our region in 2019," Tormenta FC Owner and President Darin Van Tassell said. "Elevating the club to the proven model of the USL professional ranks allows us to increase the impact our organization can have in the local community, region and country."

"We’re on the front lines of the growth of professional soccer in the U.S., and we see tremendous potential for professional soccer in Tucson," said Dr. Mark Leber, a Tucson native and member of the Phoenix Rising FC ownership group. "The city has proven time and again, through its successful MLS Preseason tournament and support of FC Tucson in the PDL, that there is an appetite for professional soccer in the market. At Phoenix Rising FC, we intend to continue raising the bar for the quality of soccer in the state, and launching a professional team in Tucson will help us establish a true player development pipeline."

"We are thrilled to be a part of the USL’s new Division III league and to bring professional soccer to our community," Joe Erwin said. "The Upstate has a passion for the sport that extends from community soccer clubs that attract thousands of youth to high school teams that compete at the highest levels and nationally-ranked programs at Clemson University and Furman University."