Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

History

The Ragain family was awarded a USL Pro franchise on December 5, 2013, with plans to begin play in 2015. The team's name, the "Switchbacks", was announced on January 31, 2014, following a fan contest. Steve Trittschuh was hired as head coach on March 11, 2014, and Luke Vercollone became the first player signed by the club in October 2014. The Ragain family chose Colorado Springs largely due to the City for Champions vision, which included a downtown stadium concept.

A talented 2017 roster failed to qualify for the playoffs, and competition grew more challenging through 2020 as the USL Championship expanded. In July 2019, the Switchbacks and Trittschuh parted ways, with assistant coach Wolde Harris named interim head coach. On September 23, Alan Koch was selected as the next head coach, but his tenure was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and a restructured 2020 season, after which he returned to Canada. A limited affiliation with the Colorado Rapids from 2019 to 2021 provided additional technical resources.

Brendan Burke was then brought in from the Philadelphia Union as head coach to lead the club's transition downtown. The team rebranded with a simplified logo and colors, made the 2021 playoffs, and saw Hadji Barry tie the league record with 25 goals, earning the Golden Boot. In 2022, the club reached the Conference Finals for the first time, losing to San Antonio FC. After winning the final match of the 2024 regular season against Sacramento Republic FC, the Switchbacks hosted their entire playoff run, conceding only one goal.

They won the Western Conference against Las Vegas Lights FC and then defeated Rhode Island FC 3–0 in the 2024 USL Championship final.

Club culture

The club has one recognized independent supporter group, Trailheads SG, located behind the south endline in an area called "Base Camp." Ziggy the mountain goat, the club's official mascot, debuted during the inaugural season. Ziggy was chosen after a competition among local high school artists, won by Widefield High School, and was ranked the league's fourth best mascot in 2017.

Stadium

The team opened an 8,000-capacity downtown stadium called Weidner Field for the 2021 season, built by Perkins & Will Architects. The stadium sits at 6,035 feet, making it the highest altitude professional soccer stadium in the United States. It features a statue of Saturn symbolizing the city's nickname as the Olympic City and one of the first FIFA-approved "corkonut" turf fields. Plans were announced in July 2018, construction began on December 7, 2019, and the $47 million cost was funded by team ownership and Regional Tourism Act / City for Champions tax increment financing. Previously, the club played at Sand Creek Stadium (now the Switchbacks Training Field), which received a $3.5 million renovation in 2014 after a 10-year lease with the city. That stadium, at roughly 6,500 feet, was the highest elevation primary home stadium for a professional team in the American soccer pyramid.