Hickory FC is a semi-professional men's soccer club based in Hickory, North Carolina. Led by an ownership group consisting of five families, the club was founded in 2023. It competes in USL League Two, an amateur league in the United States league system, and previously played in the National Premier Soccer League. It plays its home games at Moretz Stadium.
History Serious discussions about bringing a semi-professional soccer club to Hickory began in late 2022, with the club being officially announced as an expansion club of the NPSL in late 2023.
In their inaugural season, Hickory FC finished the regular season second in the NPSL's Southeast Conference. In the playoffs, they won the Southeast Conference championship before falling in the South Region semifinals. In their second season, Hickory FC finished the regular season first in the NPSL's Southeast Conference. In the conference playoff final, Hickory FC beat Appalachian FC 1-0 after extra time, in front of a then record crowd of 5,758 fans, to win the Southeast Conference championship for the second straight season. Hickory FC would go on to win two more home matches in the 2025 NPSL playoffs, defeating Lubbock Matadors SC 1-0 in the South region final and Ristozi FC 3-2 in the National semifinals. The home win over Ristozi FC set a new home attendance record of 6,247 fans. In the NPSL National final played in San Francisco, Hickory FC beat the defending NPSL champions El Farolito SC 3-2 to win the club's first NPSL national championship.
Club culture
Colors and crest The club colors are red and black. The crest draws from the foundations of Hickory as a city with the Hickory tree and the railroad track that played a prominent role.
Supporters Hickory FC's supporters group is the 28601. The group consists of fans that play different instruments including drums and trumpets, and they put up tifos across the stadium.
Rivalries Hickory FC's main rivalry is with Appalachian FC. The clubs' cities, Hickory and Boone, are separated by just 45 miles. Coincidently, both cities are also home to a campus of Appalachian State University. Hickory FC also has secondary rivalries with Asheville City SC and Statesville FC. Hickory FC, Appalachian FC, and Asheville City SC play in a three-way derby series known as the Old North Cup, given that all three clubs are located in cities considered to be in Western North Carolina (coincidently, Asheville, Hickory, and Boone are the first, second, and third most populous cities, respectively, in the region as well). Hickory FC and Statesville FC compete in the I-40 Derby, named for Interstate 40 that passes through both Statesville and Hickory.
The club also had a rivalry with Charlottestowne Hops FC in the NPSL along with Appalachian FC in the Moonshine Cup.
Year-by-year SeasonLeaguePositionPlayoffsU.S. Open CupLeagueConference/DivisionPldWDLGFGAGDPtsConf./Div.Overall2024NPSLSoutheast107122614 +12222nd of 818th of 92Region SemifinalsDNQ2025NPSLSoutheast10910317 +24281st of 83rd of 75National ChampionsDNQ2026USL2South Atlantic149142815 +13284th of 1136th of 158DNQDNQTotal3425368536+4978
Honors Club NPSL Southeast Conference Regular Season Winners (1): 2025 Southeast Conference Champions (2): 2024, 2025 South Region Champions (1): 2025 National Champions (1): 2025 Hank Steinbrecher Cup Participants (1): 2026
Personnel YearPersonnelCountryPositionHonor2025Antonio PinedaMidfieldNPSL Southeast Conference MVP2025Antonio PinedaMidfieldNPSL Golden Ball2025Carlos RubioManagerNPSL Coach of the Season2025Tomas PollacchiMidfieldNPSL National Final Man of the Match
References
External links