The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the first and only men’s league designated by USASA as a Tier 1 national league, is proud to announce that Burlington United FChas joined the league. The club will begin play in the 2025 season.
“We are looking forward to having Burlington United FC as part of the NPSL family,” NPSL Managing Director Cindy Spera said. “The club is led by an experienced ownership group with years of sports management experience. We expect them to hit the ground running and experience success on and off the field, helping us grow the game in North Carolina and beyond.”
The club is led by Club President Dr. Nicholas Sturdifen Sr., General Manager Dylan Ward, Director of Operations Hazel Davis, and Head Coach Diego Walsh.
Sturdifen is no stranger to sports or sports team ownership as he and his wife own Sturdifen Holdings, LLC, the previous owning company of a collegiate summer league wood bat baseball team. He played football collegiately at Averett University even though his true love is and has always been soccer. He has played soccer since his time living in the Netherlands before having a knee injury causing him to shift to football. Sturdifen has coached and served on boards for youth soccer clubs over the years and currently serves on the board of directors for NC Fusion, one of the largest youth clubs in central North Carolina.
“Our expectations for the first season are to compete at a high level in all areas of our club’s influence,” Sturdifen said. “That doesn’t only include playing on the pitch. That includes serving in the community and doing our part to develop the individual players on this team. We understand we are coming into a league that produces high-quality competition on a national level. We look to be able to compete on that stage while engaging an entire city through service and highly competitive soccer.”
Ward is a North Carolina native who is an avid soccer fan. No stranger to the sports scene, Ward played baseball collegiately at Greensboro College and served as a lead for gameday operations for the High Point Hushpuppies baseball team in the Old North State League.
Davis, a North Carolina native, brings over 10 years of operations experience across multiple industries. She most recently served as the General Manager for the High Point Hushpuppies, a collegiate summer league team. Davis and her experience will be critical to the internal and game operations.
Walsh holds a U.S. Soccer B License, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and FIFA Level 1 Futsal credentials. He played collegiately for Southern Methodist University where he was drafted seventh overall by the Columbus Crew in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft. He would go on to play 10 years of professional soccer, including Columbus and Kansas City in MLS, Adelaide United and Wellington Phoenix in the A-League, and TOT SC in the Thai Premier League.
Burlington United FC is owned and operated by Sturdifen Holdings, LLC with the philosophy of doing its part to provide a platform for players to have a pathway to the professional level and elevating the entertainment experience for a great community through service and soccer. As a seasoned ownership organization, Sturdifen Holdings, LLC is primed to introduce the Burlington and surrounding communities to the high quality of the NPSL and the great benefits that will be provided to the residents of the city and surrounding communities.
Fans and supporters can learn more by visiting www.burlingtonunitedfc.com or following the club on Facebook (@BurlingtonUnitedFC) Instagram (@burlingtonunited_fc), and Twitter/X (@BtownUnited_FC).
More information about expansion opportunities in the NPSL can be found at npsl.com/expansion.
