Winning Opened the Door. Experience Is What’s Keeping It Open in Huntsville.

For Huntsville City FC, 2025 was the season when progress finally became visible in the standings. But inside the organization, Managing Director Chad Emerson is clear that the real lesson of last year had less to do with results and more to do with momentum.

“Winning generates excitement,” Emerson said. “It was fun going down to Decision Day knowing we were either going to host a playoff game or go on the road. The previous two seasons, our season had just ended. This was knowing we were playing soccer in October.”

That postseason push validated years of groundwork, but Emerson views it as a catalyst rather than a conclusion. The challenge moving into 2026 is converting competitive success into sustainable growth, particularly in a league and market where long-term viability depends on more than the scoreboard.

That mindset has shaped Huntsville City’s most consistent priority: guest experience.

“We want to have great soccer, but we also have to have fantastic, all-ages, family-friendly entertainment,” Emerson explained. “We’re really leaning into that.”

Huntsville City's success on the field feeds its success off the field and creates one of the best atmospheres in MLS Next Pro. (Photos courtesy of Huntsville City FC)

The club’s approach is informed by hospitality more than traditional sports marketing. Emerson cites Unreasonable Hospitality and Fans First as guiding texts, framing every matchday as an opportunity to exceed expectations at each touchpoint.

“Clean and safe is the first priority,” he said. “People want to be in a clean and safe environment. That’s where we start. Clean bathrooms, clean parking lots, everything looks good.”

From there, the details compound. Staff greeting fans at the gate. Saying thank you when they leave. A mascot welcoming families. Small gestures, Emerson argues, that cost little but signal intentionality.

“If you were inviting someone into your home for dinner, you’d probably dress the house up a little,” he said. “You’d plan nice things to eat. Saying hello when guests come in and thank you when they leave — that’s hospitality.”

Those ideas extend even to concessions. In 2026, Huntsville City will debut a soccer-ball-shaped nacho bowl with the club’s logo.

“Individually, that might not matter much,” Emerson said. “But when you do fifteen or twenty of those things, the compiled effect is people saying, ‘Wow, they really paid attention to the little things.’”

That philosophy is especially important in MLS NEXT Pro, where clubs must balance development objectives with the realities of ticket sales. Emerson credits the league for understanding those dynamics and working collaboratively with teams that are actively building audiences.

“They’re great partners,” he said. “If we have a big youth soccer tournament in town, like the Horizon Cup on opening weekend, we can go to the league and say, ‘If possible, can we prioritize these dates?’ They’re receptive because selling tickets is good for the club and good for the league.”

Youth soccer, in fact, sits at the center of Huntsville City’s growth strategy. Large tournaments bring families into the area, and the club has leaned into the opportunity to convert downtime into matchday experiences.

“I’ve been to thousands of youth tournaments,” Emerson said. “You finish playing around five or six on Saturday. What do you do? Maybe go to the movies, maybe sit in the hotel lobby. We said, no — you’re going to come over to Wicks Family Field.”

That thinking also informs the club’s broader vision for venue use and scheduling flexibility. With control of the stadium, Huntsville City is planning beyond soccer alone.

“We just announced a college football game in August,” Emerson noted. “When those fans come in, they’re watching football, but they’re also noticing the soccer environment. Maybe they come back.”

Looking ahead, Emerson expects adaptation to be a defining skill as MLS NEXT Pro moves through a schedule flip and seasonal adjustments.

“We really have to study what dates and times work,” he said. “Maybe you play more day games in the colder months. You can learn from leagues around the world that deal with similar weather challenges.”

In Huntsville, the long-term vision remains clear: winning matters, but experience builds loyalty; partnerships amplify growth; and the stadium is a platform, not a single-use asset.

The result is a club that sees success not as a finish line, but as an invitation to keep building.