US Soccer has officially announced that four Baltimore-area teams- Baltimore Bays, SAC, Pipeline SC, and Pro Soccer Academy- will combine in the fall to form Baltimore Armour, which will compete in the US Development academy starting in the 2015-16 season.

Baltimore Armour Technical Director John Ellinger is excited about the news, which was reported today via press release which announced three other new Academy teams for 2015-16: Boca United, New York City FC, and Sacramento Republic FC.

Said Ellinger:

“Everyone involved with Baltimore Armour are extremely excited about being given this opportunity of full U.S. Soccer Development Academy status; it is a dream come true. The Baltimore area has a strong history of developing players who have played for the various U.S. National Team programs and at the professional level. We look forward to the challenge of creating a stronger player base for many years to come in the Baltimore area.”

 

Baltimore Armour will be sponsored by Under Armour. The new Academy team comes as a breath of fresh air for Baltimore-area soccer, with the Baltimore Bays Academy Program struggling in recent years due to the rise of Baltimore Celtic SC which saw a number of coaches and players leave for the new club.

The official announcement can be viewed here.