MLS Next Pro side Rochester New York will cease operations immediately after a statement from the league confirmed their decision. The side, part-owned by Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, only debuted in the new third division in 2022.
The choice was confirmed in a tweet, stating: "Rochester New York FC has reached the decision to cease operations and therefore will not participate in the 2023 MLS Next Pro season.
"We would like to thank the Rochester Community, their fans and ownership for their support of the club and MLS Next Pro." Rochester, previously Rochester Rhinos, had been one of the most successful sides in USL - the second tier of American football.
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In 2017 they took four years out and returned in the new MLS Next Pro division, finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference. This now means that all 27 MLS Next Pro sides are affiliated with MLS sides, a way to better bridge the gap and develop players.
Co-owner Wendy Dworkin has previously explained why the club had to take time away, saying: "One of the reasons for the hiatus (was) a dysfunctional relationship with the City of Rochester." They told The Athletic in June 2021: "You couldn’t keep moving forward as a professional team should with that style of relationship. The second reason (was) I think we needed to pause to do this correctly."
They then entered as the first independent side in MLS Next Pro with Vardy on board. Upon the announcement of the deal, Vardy said: "I think it’ll be massive, especially for the MLS development teams.
"We’ll give them something else to think about on the competition side, because we’re not really going to have them age restrictions. We can have anyone, if they’re good enough, from 16 all the way up to 35 or 36. That’s the main thing: if you’re good enough, you’re playing. It’s not an age thing, as in, we want to be as competitive as possible, and obviously challenging to win the league.
"That’s what’s been going on behind the scenes, trying to get everything into place and, fingers crossed, that’s exactly what’ll happen." He also said: "That’s one thing we’ve said from day one: it’s about developing the players and letting them show what they’re about.
"If they’re winning games and playing well, then obviously other teams are going to take notice. It’s not just the players, either: it’s all the staff who are going to be involved. We want to be successful, but if they’re so good at the job that it gets them a move, we don’t want to be standing in their way. We want to see them succeed in life and want them to move on to bigger and better things."
Struggling to find a home ground big enough to gain sizable support and revenue made it tough to operate, the Athletic report. Meanwhile, rebranding from the Rhinos also alienated some fans. What comes next from those involved is unknown.
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