About
Peoria City
Founded in 2020, our on-the-field debut in USL League Two was delayed until 2022 due to the global pandemic, but since beginning play in 2023, Peoria City has quickly grown into one of the most successful clubs in League Two.
After qualifying for the USL League Two Playoffs to cap our debut season in 2022, Peoria City truly raised the competitive bar in 2024 by winning our first Cup, hosting our first international friendly competitions by welcoming Chivas de Guadalajara U23 for a pair of games in the inaugural Copa Peoria Series and hosting all three rounds of the USL League Two Playoffs on our way to a spot in the national championship game.
Based at Bradley University’s beautiful Shea Stadium, Peoria City has ranked among League Two attendance leaders in each of our first three seasons, drawing more than 1,700 fans per game in 2024.
USL League Two is North America’s premier pre-professional soccer league with 128 teams competing in 18 divisions across the United States and Canada in 2024. League Two is the defined and proven pathway for players to progress to the ranks of professional soccer, while its clubs become fixtures in the communities where they operate.
The success of the club on the field and in the community paved the way for expansion and as Peoria City begins the 2025 season, the club will field teams in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and WPSL Division II, as well as a U20 men’s team in USL Academy.
At the core of Peoria City’s values is our dedication to the community, fan-first mentality, supporting our players, and boosting the local economy.
In addition to the USL and WPSL club operations, Peoria City is aligned with the Central Illinois Soccer Academy (CISA), which provides year-round training opportunities for soccer players of all ages. Please visit www.centralillinoissocceracademy.com to learn more about CISA and its camps and training programs.
Team Leadership
Jim DeRose
President
Having worked behind the scenes to bring Peoria City to the Whiskey City, retired Bradley Soccer coach Jim DeRose officially assumes the role of club President as the franchise enters its third season in 2024.
Following his own playing career, which featured a season as goalkeeper for the New Mexico Chiles of the American Professional Soccer League, DeRose quickly established himself as one of the top coaches in college soccer.
Named the third head coach in Bradley Soccer history, DeRose was the youngest NCAA Division I coach in the nation when he took the helm for the Braves in 1996. During his 28 seasons at Bradley (1996-2023), DeRose became the second-winningest head coach in Missouri Valley Conference men’s and women’s soccer history history while accumulating 84 percent of the program’s 318 all-time victories.
The 2007 Soccer America National Coach of the Year led the Braves to seven Valley regular-season and tournament titles, as well as seven NCAA Tournament appearances, the most by any coach in Bradley Athletics history.
Bobby Parker
Chief Operating Officer
Following a 34-year career in college athletics as a student-athlete, communications officer and event manager, former Bradley University Sr. Associate Athletic Director Bobby Parker has joined Peoria City in a full-time capacity in 2024 as the club’s Chief Operating Officer.
The owner of Champion Experiences LLC, Parker served Peoria City in a consulting role as the club announced its entry into USL League Two in 2020 and he provided operational support and consulting services during Peoria City’s first two seasons. In his full-time role, Parker oversees the day-to-day, off-the-field operations of the club.
80% of MLS Draft Selections since 2010 Played in USL League Two
USL League Two is North America’s leader in pre-professional soccer.
This is your team.
Join the club and help make the 2022 opening season a success. You’ll find out first about exciting announcements, team and merch info, and very special Peoria City events.
