Lansing Ignite FC was a professional soccer team located in Lansing, Michigan, United States. The team started playing in the new USL League One in 2019. They stopped operating after their first season.

History

The formation of USL League One, which was first called USL Division III, was announced in April 2017. League officials began visiting cities across the United States to find places for new soccer clubs. The city of Lansing already had a team called Lansing United, which played in the National Premier Soccer League. In 2018, Lansing United moved to the Premier Development League, another amateur league often considered the fourth tier of American soccer. This move was a step toward creating a professional team, as the PDL is managed by United Soccer Leagues, the same organization that manages USL League One and the second-tier United Soccer League.

In September 2018, the Lansing State Journal reported that the owners of the Lansing Lugnuts, a local minor league baseball team, shared plans with Lansing City Council to create a professional soccer team. The team would play at Cooley Law School Stadium, which is also home to the Lugnuts. On October 8, the city council approved the plans, which are expected to cost the city $1 million over five years. This decision marked the end of Lansing United’s men’s team, as its owner, Jeremy Sampson, became the general manager of the new club. However, Lansing United Women continued to operate as planned.

On October 25, 2018, USL League One officially announced Lansing Ignite FC as its ninth founding team, which would begin playing in 2019. On November 14, 2018, Lansing Ignite FC named Nate Miller as its first head coach. On March 19, 2019, the team announced an agreement with Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.

Lansing Ignite FC played its first USL League One match on March 30, 2019, defeating Richmond Kickers 3–2 at City Stadium in Richmond. The team finished its first season with a record of 12 wins, 6 losses, and 10 draws, placing second in USL League One. They lost in the playoff semifinals to Greenville Triumph SC, 1–0. On October 14, 2019, midfielder Marshall Hollingsworth shared on Instagram that the Ignite would stop operating and that all players had been released from their contracts. Team President Nick Grueser said the team would not provide updates about its future until after the League One final.

On October 21, 2019, USL League One announced that, despite a successful first season, Lansing Ignite FC would not return for the 2020 season.

In 2020, a new team called Lansing Common FC was formed as a supporter-owned club. They began playing in 2021 as part of the Midwest Premier League.

Year-by-year

• The Top Scorer only includes numbers from league games.

• This includes the USL Regular Season, USL Playoffs, and the U.S. Open Cup. It does not include friendly matches.