With Barrie set to become the new home of a pro soccer team in 2028, the organization bringing the team to town is already seeing heavy interest from the community.
Barrie MLS NEXT Pro president and CEO Peter Raco says a private window for priority access season ticket sales, which ended last week, saw some premium sections sell out by nearly 50 per cent.
“We’re really encouraged about the interest from the community, from future season
ticket holders to local businesses and national interest," Raco said in a release, adding that deposit sales exceeded the club's expectations.
The club's stadium, announced at a rally in Barrie in July, will be built on the land that was previously the home of Barrie Central Collegiate at Bradford Street and Dunlop Street.
According to the club, seating options will include traditional grandstand seats and premium hospitality experiences, including executive suites, club seating, a rooftop terrace and pitchside seats. However, the planning and design phase for the project is ongoing.
The club added in a release that its full identity, including its name, crest and colours, is scheduled to be unveiled in spring 2027 alongside an official stadium groundbreaking.
“For us, this is bigger than soccer. We’re building a community in the downtown core of Barrie, and soccer will be the heartbeat of this stadium,” Raco said. “We want to build a club that Barrie can call its own, with traditions, supporter culture and an identity shaped by the people who are here from the beginning.”
The 2028 MLS NEXT Pro season will be the organization's first in Barrie. It will come through Toronto FC II, the reserve affiliate for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), relocating from its home at York Lions Stadium in Toronto.
Toronto FC II finished the 2026 season 11-13-4 with two shootout wins, finishing 12th in the league's Eastern Conference.
