While Greenville Pro Soccer officially became the third founding member of USL Division III on March 13, league executives remained busy the following week, visiting its 25th different city since April of 2017.

On Wednesday, the USL Division III expansion team met with local leaders, as well as executives from Premier Development League side the Lakeland Tropics, made an official site visit to possible land for a soccer-specific stadium and toured downtown to evaluate the potential for a professional team in the city.

“Our meetings in Lakeland were a great first step in bringing a professional soccer team to the city,” USL Division III Vice President Steven Short told USLD3.com “The desire for the pro game is clear after talking to city officials, as well as the leaders from the Lakeland Tropics, and we look forward to working with everyone involved in the coming weeks as we aim to bring professional soccer to new markets across the country.”

Home to the corporate headquarters of Southeast grocery store chain Publix, the Lakeland-Winter Haven market boasts a population of more than 650,000 and has multiple sports teams already established. The Lakeland Magic (NBA G-League affiliate), Lakeland Flying Tigers (High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers) and Florida Tarpons (American Arena League) all call Lakeland home.

The Tropics, who are preparing for their second season in the PDL’s Southeast Division, averaged 2,629 fans during the 2017 campaign. In the team’s inaugural match, 6,112 fans watched the Tropics record a 4-3 victory against The Villages SC at Bryant Stadium.

Meanwhile, league executives are also planning to meet with potential ownership for additional teams next week, as interest in USL Division III continues to skyrocket ahead of its first season in 2019.