Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Roots were built in coffee shops and pubs by people from the city, with a crest the community helped design and a pledge to give money back. Eight seasons in, they are still looking for a ground to call their own.
A Club Built to Give Back
The Roots were founded in 2018 by a group of Oakland natives including Edreece Arghandiwal and Benno Nagel. They started in NISA, the National Independent Soccer Association, in 2019, and in September 2020 were confirmed as the newest club in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer, where they have played since 2021. The guiding line from the start has been “Oakland First, Always”.
That shows up in more than slogans. The Roots joined Common Goal, giving 1% of player and staff wages plus a share of ticket revenue to social projects, and were the first American club to sign up. Ownership is spread wide too. More than $3 million came from fans in a first community investment round, with names such as Jason Kidd, Marshawn Lynch, G-Eazy and Billie Joe Armstrong among the backers, and a second round opened in September 2024. The same club runs Oakland Soul, its women’s side, which joined the USL W League in 2023.
Laney, Hayward, the Coliseum and What Comes Next
The early years were spent at Laney College in the middle of Oakland, with a drum line marching down 10th Street before kick-off and the Deep Roots supporters behind the goal. In 2024 the club played at Pioneer Stadium, Cal State East Bay, in Hayward. When the Athletics left, the Roots moved into the Oakland Coliseum for 2025, and their first game there in March drew around 26,000, a USL record for a home opener.
It didn’t last. In July 2026 the club said the Coliseum was not a viable option beyond the season, citing event control, costs and the fan experience. The farewell came on 10 October 2026, a 0–0 draw with San Antonio FC in front of 9,718, with goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh saving a penalty. The Alameda training ground on Bay Farm Island, the Raiders’ old practice site, is the leading option for 2027, and in September 2026 the club secured an exclusive negotiating agreement over the Howard Terminal site for a planned permanent stadium.
Chasing a Play-off Place
Ryan Martin, who had coached Loudoun United since 2019, was appointed head coach on 18 November 2025. After the Coliseum farewell the Roots sat 11th in the Western Conference, four points off the play-off places with two games left. They kept their hopes going with a 4–2 win at FC Tulsa on 17 October, Wolfgang Prentice scoring twice before Peter Wilson and Bertin Jacquesson added late goals. The regular season ends away to NorCal rivals Sacramento Republic on 24 October.
Kendall McIntosh
Black, White and the Mosaic
The crest, designed by Matt Wolff with community input, is an oak tree over a stained-glass mosaic of roots and soil, and hides an outline of Oakland’s city map. That mosaic runs through the kits. In 2026 CHARLY made a black primary shirt with a Lake Merritt ripple and the Oak-ness Monster wrapped round it, and a white secondary shirt carrying the mosaic split by white stripes.
This FanFile covers Oakland Roots SC as a club rather than one particular jersey. Check the crest, sponsor, manufacturer label and product code on your own shirt to identify its specific season and edition.
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Club Links
Sources & Further Reading
- Oakland Roots SC: update on the club’s gameday venue, July 2026
- USL Championship: Oakland Roots join the league, 2020
- Common Goal: the Roots’ 1% pledge
- KTVU: community ownership of the Roots and Soul
- Soccer Bay Area: the last game at the Coliseum
- Oakland Roots SC: 4–2 win at FC Tulsa, October 2026
Facts checked: 21 October 2026.