Long Island is getting a new professional soccer team and fans will have a hand in shaping its identity.

The team, going by USL Long Island for now, will compete in USL League One, the third division of professional soccer in the United States.

Home matches will be played at Shuart Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University.

The announcement is already generating excitement among young soccer players across Long Island, who now have a professional team to watch and aspire to join one day.

“It’s pretty exciting because we now have something to look forward to,” said AJ Canales, of Bay Shore. “I really love the sport and now I have a professional team to look up to and try to reach for one day.”

The team’s permanent name, crest and colors have not yet been finalized. Owners say fans will help decide those elements, with the new identity expected to be unveiled in the coming months.

USL Long Island is expected to take the field for the first time in 2028, bringing professional soccer to a new generation of fans and players on Long Island.