The borough’s first professional men’s soccer team continues to take shape.
Less than a week after Queensboro Football Club announced its plans to build a soccer stadium at York College, the team appointed its first president to oversee the construction of the venue.
Far Rockaway native Adam Schneider, an accomplished sports and entertainment executive, was named team president and will be responsible for all the club’s business divisions, including strategy, sales, marketing and operations. In addition to his background working with world-class venues and events, Schneife will spearhead Queensboro FC’s stadium roadmap and development, including the team’s partnership with CUNY and York College.
“I look forward to helping Queensboro FC become a benchmark sports and entertainment organization in Queens and New York City, both on and off the field,” Schneider said. “The shared live sports experience is priceless and irreplaceable, and we are dedicated to bringing people together to celebrate culture and community through Queensboro FC.”
A seasoned executive, deal-maker and brand builder, Schneider has generated more than $1 billion in revenue on behalf of sports and entertainment businesses including the Detroit Pistons and the Lollapalooza music festival. Schneider previously served as head of entertainment at Palace Sports & Entertainment, overseeing the Piston’s arena as well as its three outdoor amphitheaters, which annually hosted more than 150 events with 1.5 million in total attendance.
Schneider began his career working for legendary concert impresario Bill Graham, during which time he crafted the blueprint for the Lollapalooza tour, an original model replicated by numerous premier touring music festivals.
“We are delighted to have Adam join the Queensboro FC family, and we welcome him back to the ‘World’s Borough,’” Queensboro FC Owner Jonathan Krane said. “Adam’s track record of success, business acumen and commitment to building diverse teams and partnerships will greatly benefit the development of an innovative sporting organization, and breakthrough fan experiences.”
Queensboro FC announced a 7,500-seat modular stadium will be built on the field behind the Health & Physical Education complex at York College. It will be the first and only professional soccer-specific stadium in New York City.
“The soccer community in Queens is finally getting what they’ve always wanted — their own team and their own stadium,” said Aly Wagner, former U.S. Women’s National Team player and new member of the Queensboro FC ownership group. “We have worked really hard over the past two years to bring QBFC to life, and this stadium represents a huge step forward. It will serve as a physical manifestation, and a leading example, of how to build a modern-day soccer team in an ever-changing world of sports and entertainment.”
The club will start playing in the 2022 season of the USL Championship, the top tier of the United Soccer League.
