Long Island getting expansion team in Major League Indoor Soccer

Professional indoor soccer is returning to Long Island.

Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS) announced Tuesday that it will add an expansion team on Long Island that will begin play during its 2027-28 season.

The team will be led by owner Rick Chiorando, a Southampton resident, Ward Melville High School alum and CEO of Austin Williams, a Hauppauge-based advertising and digital marketing agency.

Chiorando, 71, has been negotiating with colleges and universities on Long Island about a home venue for the team, ideally in one of their arenas.

“I do think Long Island is a hotbed for soccer,” he told Newsday on Wednesday. “It's huge in youth. I think the population of Long Island suits soccer, and I personally have a love for indoor soccer. I love soccer in general. It's the gentleman's game. The World Cup was just finished up a couple months ago.

“But indoor soccer is a lot like hockey. It is fast. It's control. It's a high-scoring game, which I think personally, Americans like to see high scores . . .  I'm in preliminary stages right now, talking to people, figuring out financing, figuring out location, where it best fits. But it's something I'm really pumped about, really excited about, and want to see happen in ‘27.”

The team name and additional details have yet to be revealed. Chiorando said he was thinking of holding a competition to name the team, comparing it to what the Islanders did with their third jersey fan contest in the summer.

The new MLIS team will be one of three new professional soccer teams coming to Long Island in the next two years, though the other two are outdoor teams: The Island FC (in MLS Next Pro in July 2027) and USL Long Island (in USL League One in March 2028).

Chiorando said he also played baseball for Ward Melville, Buffalo State University and in Class A with the Reds.

“Sports has always been in my blood,” he said.

He became involved with MLIS after reconnecting with his old Buffalo State roommate, Sev Hrywnak, the president of MLIS, on Facebook. Austin Williams initially helped MLIS with digital marketing, which opened the door for Chiorando to get involved himself.

“Then it just became obvious, why not me?” said Chiorando, who added that Hrywnak believed the Northeast is “really prime” for a team.

MLIS, which was founded in 2022, has 12 active teams for its 2026-27 season, according to its website. The league recently announced other expansion teams in Nashville, Tennessee, and Scranton, Pennsylvania, for the 2027-28 season. The upcoming MLIS season, the league’s fifth, will run from December through March and feature 12 regular-season games plus playoffs.

According to the MLIS website, the league “provides a viable platform for teams, players, coaches and officials to compete at the highest level of men's indoor soccer in North America” and has a $25,000 championship prize.

Previous professional indoor soccer teams to play on Long Island include the New York Arrows (1978-84) and New York Express (1986-87) of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Both teams played at the Nassau Coliseum.

Chiorando said he already has received several messages from people who want to get involved with the team, some with MLS pedigree. He hopes to establish a presence for the team within the community, including getting connected with the larger youth leagues on the Island.

“It's literally building a — think of it as a minor-league team and everything that has to go along with it,” he said. “From ticket sales, marketing, naming, sponsorships. There's a lot of moving pieces right now. I'm trying to get them in order.

“But excited about all of it.”

By Ben Dickson

benjamin.dickson@newsday.com@bendickson__

Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.