The club plays at Weidner Field, which holds the record for the highest professional soccer stadium in the United States. The Switchbacks won their first conference championship, and overall league championship, in the 2024 season, defeating Rhode Island FC 3-0 in the USL Championship Final.
History
The Ragain Family was awarded a USL Pro franchise on December 5, 2013, with plans to begin play in 2015.[1] The team's name, the "Switchbacks", was announced on January 31, 2014, following a fan contest.[2] The team hired Steve Trittschuh as head coach on March 11, 2014.[3]Luke Vercollone was the first player signed by Colorado Springs in October 2014. The Ragain Family chose Colorado Springs in large part because of the City for Champions vision by city leaders which included a downtown stadium concept that needed a champion of its own.[4]
Steve Trittschuh and Luke Vercollone lead Colorado Springs to two immediate post season appearances in 2015 and 2016. A talented 2017 roster did not qualify for the playoffs followed by increasingly challenging league competitions through 2020 as the USL Championship grew.
In July 2019, the Switchbacks and Trittschuh parted ways naming assistant coach Wolde Harris the interim head coach.[5] On September 23, Switchbacks announced the selection of Alan Koch as the next head coach.[6] Koch's leadership of the team was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and a restructuring of the 2020 season thereafter returning to Canada. A stabilizing limited affiliation between the Switchbacks and Colorado Rapids between 2019 and 2021 provided the club with additional technical resources and staff including Brian Crookham that aided the transitioning club.[7]
The Switchbacks next looked to Brendan Burke from the Philadelphia Union as head coach to lead the club in its transition downtown beginning a new phase for the franchise.[8] Switchbacks rebranded by simplifying the original logo and colors. Burke quickly went to work restructuring the team making a 2021 playoff appearance in his first season. Player Hadji Barry tied the Championship league record for total goals scored at 25 goals earning the leagues Golden Boot award.[9] 2022 saw the best season in franchise history at the time, making it to the Conference Finals before defeat against San Antonio FC.[10]
After winning the final match of the 2024 regular season against Sacramento Republic FC, the Switchbacks were able to host their entire playoff run at home.[11] With a strong home advantage, the Switchbacks were able to cruise through the entire playoffs, conceding only one goal the entire 2024 USL Championship playoffs.[12] During this run, the club won their first trophy by winning the Western Conference against the Las Vegas Lights FC,[13] and handily winning the 2024 USL Championship final 3–0 against Rhode Island FC.[14][15]
Club culture
Supporter Groups
The club has one recognized supporter group, and independent supporter group called Trailheads SG.[16] They're typically located behind the south endline in a place titled, "Base Camp."[17]
Mascot
Ziggy the mountain goat, debuted during the club's inaugural season, is the club's official mascot. He was chosen after a competition was hosted between artists from local high schools to create concept art for the new club's mascot to potentially win $200 for their school's art department, which was eventually won by Widefield High School.[18] He's regarded as one of the best mascots in the USL Championship, being ranked the league's fourth best mascot in 2017.[19]
Stadium
Aerial shot of Weidner Field in June 2021
The team opened an 8,000 capacity soccer stadium in downtown Colorado Springs, called Weidner Field, built by Perkins & Will Architects for the 2021 season. Having taken the name from the club's former stadium in October 2020, the stadium sits at an altitude of 6,035 feet, making Weidner Field the highest altitude professional soccer stadium in the United States.[20] The stadium includes many unique elements, including a statue of Saturn that symbolizes the city's nickname as the Olympic City, as well as one of the first "corkonut" turf fields approved by FIFA.[21] Plans for the stadium were officially announced by the City of Colorado Springs in July 2018.[22] Construction began on December 7, 2019. The stadium cost was $47 million and funded by team ownership and Regional Tourism Act / City for Champions tax increment financing.[23]
In 2014, Sand Creek Stadium (now officially known as the Switchbacks Training Field) received a $3.5 million renovation by Martin E. Ragain after signing a 10-year lease with the City of Colorado Springs to meet league minimum stadium criteria for franchises.[24] Located at roughly 6,500 feet above sea level,[25] the stadium was at the highest elevation of any primary home stadium for a professional team in the American soccer pyramid.
Year-by-year
Historical chart of Switchbacks FC's regular season performance
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