EXCLUSIVE: New Orleans Ramparts FC Planning to Join USL League One
It’s different from the first USL NOLA initiative, but it’s one that can hopefully fulfill the wish for pro soccer in the city.
An X/Twitter post 3 days ago revealed to the public logo designs for what seemed to be a new professional soccer club in New Orleans, Louisiana. The rumor on the post was that there was a connection to MLS NEXT Pro.
However, the New Orleans Ramparts will instead be joining USL League Two in 2026 with the ambition to join USL League One. This is a separate project than the USL NOLA group from 2022 that never met their goal, but it hopes through the USL’s newly-announced promotion and relegation structure to reach the level of soccer promised to fans a few years ago and become the first professional soccer club in Louisiana.
We sat down with Ramparts founder Diaz Wilson to discuss the professional dream, stadium plans, building an identity from scratch, and more.
At what league and level will the Ramparts play in?
Wilson: USL2 is the league I’m targeting, so semi-professional. The goal is to show proof of concept in USL2 then a move into USL1. With USL’s pro/rel plan coming in a few years, Ramparts FC could grow with it and still obtain the professional status that NOLA fans were expecting 2 years ago.
Are you related at all to the original USL NOLA group?
No relation to the USL NOLA group. Just a few fans that decided not to wait for the USL NOLA group to make a team.
Where is the club going play? What stadium renovations, or a move to another venue, will happen for the USL1 move?
For USL1, that would depend on the turnout for the team at the USL2 level. There’s already another established soccer club in Nola, the Jesters (NPSL). So, part of it would depend on wherever they aren’t playing, whether that is Pan Am Stadium or The Shrine on Airline. So, turnout and availability (are the factors).
Also, we have a few stadium suggestions that we sent to the USL2 office for approval, but no location has been chosen as of the moment.
Have the USL admitted you as a club for 2026 even with the delayed stadium approval? What is the start year in USL2/planned start in USL1?
Also, if you go pro, wouldn’t your schedule’s importance automatically trump the Jesters availability-wise?
We are aiming for approval around September since the deadline is October. Planned start for USL2 is 2026. USL1 depends on how successful we are in USL2.
I personally think that the city is large enough to support a healthy fanbase for both teams. Schedules may conflict, but that can become negligible if there were a preseason “rivalry” established. A NOLA Derby… Jesters and Ramparts co-existing would grow the importance of each in my opinion.
What would you consider successful at USL2 to go pro? How do you plan to attract fans to show proof of concept in the semi-pro league?
For me, success is attendance. A club starting small depends on the butts in the seats. No broadcasting revenue to rely on. Winning always helps, but developing the loyal fan culture is what will sustain the team.
We plan to attract fans by advertising in multiple areas of the city. Many people don’t know that a current team exists. We don’t want to just have soccer fans, we want sports fans, families, community groups, etc.
Back to the stadium talk: Are Pan Am and the Shrine the main two options? Or would you consider others? Maybe a new soccer-specific stadium (and maybe in the River District, which The Athletic has hinted at)?
Those are options for if the team has the fanbase growth to where those stadiums are needed. They would not be options while still on the USL2 level.
The article is most likely referring to a USL Championship level (which would be great to reach). I agree with Hecht (Editor’s Note: President of southeast Louisiana’s economic development agency who stated that they’d land a USL deal and that Nola could support a club). There are USL Championship clubs in cities with smaller populations that are successful and growing.
Would you have the finances for those stadium options?
Currently do not have the finances for those options. Our projected expenses are for smaller stadiums at the moment.
How much money/how many investors are behind the project, and would the money be enough on its own (without public help) to go pro?
This is currently a grassroots club. We will conduct fundraising and reach out to interested investors. More money would always help in going pro, but it’s very possible to garner enough fan support in our city/metro size to do so.
Have you had any talks with investors yet, or is this in the very early stages?
I have talked to a few investors, but I am developing a more detailed proposal for others.
Why the NOLA Ramparts name and branding? Why this identity?
It’s pretty lengthy. It surprising started with street names. I knew that our street names had history. Former governors, locations in Europe, etc. I wanted something historical and passed Rampart Street. Like most New Orleanians, I had no clue what it was. I looked it up and saw that it was the structure to protect the French Quarter, which was essentially Nola at the time. A week later, my fiancé and I happened to visit Chalmette Battlefield, site of the Battle of New Orleans (another potential name that I considered). The blue cannons, the open field with a centuries-old oak tree that may have been a sapling at the battle, and ramparts lined a cross sealed it as the name. An underdog battle against the British army. An upset that brought soldiers from different cultures and ethnicities for a single goal of protecting Nola and control of the Mississippi River.
In short, I hope this can bring the diverse population of Nola together for 90 minutes as they cheer on their team. A different meaning to “O’er The Ramparts We Watch!”
Any closing statements to the fans in New Orleans?
I just want potential fans to know that this is grassroots and really depends on them. I will be working on updating fans on the Ramparts FC Instagram page (@rampartsfc) as often as possible. I know hopes get high and questions will need answers. I’ll be glad to have more partners to assist in the creation of this club as I know that the demand is there.
This interview showed that a professional soccer club in New Orleans is still a few years away. It’s also a few investors away. However, Diaz Wilson and other fans tired of the wait have restored hope, determined to make the patience of the city worth it. And they’re doing it the right way, establishing the club locally, building a fanbase and an identity before stepping up operations to a grand scale.
The USL is on the path towards redemption in the Crescent City. Professional soccer is possible in New Orleans again.
(This article was cross-posted on Beyond the 90)