High School

IMG Academy will host remaining Tampa Bay Rowdies' 2024 home games

The men's professional soccer team made the announcement on Friday morning in a press release

Andy Villamarzo

IMG Academy Stadium in Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy Stadium in Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy website

One of the nation's most prestigious academies will now serve as the home for a men's professional soccer team.

According to a press release made by the United Soccer League's Tampa Bay Rowdies on Friday morning, the professional team will play the remainder of their 2024 home games at IMG Academy. The Rowdies have two games left to host against Hartford Athletic (Oct. 23rd) and Indy Eleven (Oct. 26th), respectively.

The Rowdies were forced away from their home field of Al Lang Stadium due to the impacts of both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton ravaging the downtown area of St. Petersburg.

“As a proud member of the local community, IMG Academy is honored to welcome the Tampa Bay Rowdies to our campus and stand alongside them during this challenging time,” IMG Academy's Chief Operating Officer Mike Milliron said via the press release. “Having hosted over 20 professional soccer clubs and national teams over the last several years at IMG Academy, we’re well-prepared to deliver an unrivaled campus experience to the Rowdies organization.” 

Unable to continue at their home field, the Rowdies look to finish strong at IMG Academy, which is just over 40 minutes away from St. Petersburg.

“The impact of both Hurricanes Helene and Milton to our region has been devastating, and while we cannot continue at Al Lang Stadium, we feel fortunate to be able to finish the season in the Tampa Bay area,” Tampa Bay Rowdies president Ryan Helfrick said via the press release. “IMG Academy has a tremendous track record for hosting professional sports organizations and events, and we’re grateful for their ability to host us on such short notice. As we move through the challenges following the hurricane, our thoughts are with everyone across the region who have been impacted.” 

IMG Academy's national football team is ranked the top team in the state of Florida via the latest High School On SI Top 25 Florida high school rankings. The Ascenders don't host another game until Nov. 8th when they take on St. Thomas More of Connecticut.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl

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Andy Villamarzo
ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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