When South Georgia Tormenta FC was born in the summer of 2015, the franchise took on the motto of the Premier Development League in which it played, claiming that ‘Pros Start Here.’

When March 29 rolls around, it’s USL League One that will start right here in Statesboro.

Following three successful seasons in the PDL - including a Deep South Division championship and a run to the league playoffs last season - Tormenta made the decision to throw its hat in the ring for a newly forming professional league. Years of stellar play and great attendance and off-the-field accolades made the Statesboro club an easy pick and the organization was named as the first franchise of USL D3 - since changed to USL League One in a nationwide rebranding - early in 2018.

Tormenta was the first of what will be 10 clubs signed up for the league’s inaugural season. It also signed the league’s first player when Josh Phelps inked a deal earlier this fall.

So it’s only fitting that Statesboro and Tormenta will host USL League One’s first ever match when Greenville Triumph SC comes to town March 29 for the season opener.

“This is an exciting time for all of us,” Tormenta president Darin Van Tassell said. “The pressure is on with being the league’s founding member and hosting the first game, but that’s exactly what we want. This is a new endeavor, but we still expect to win games and win championships.”

An official start time for the season opener will be announced at a later date, as will details about a television broadcast.

While the league will be brand new for all clubs involved, Tormenta fans will recognize plenty of the faces.

So far, 13 members of the League One roster have been announced, with 11 having previously played with Tormenta’s PDL squad. Jad Arslan will be the team’s elder statesman as the only player who has been with the squad since its first season in 2016 while Georgia Southern graduate Nick Wells will stay in town to begin his professional career on the same field where he played his college ball as he begins his third season with Tormenta.

Pablo Jara returns in net after a stellar defensive season last summer while 2018 team captain Joshua Phelps will suit up for his third season with the club.

The familiarity will be sure to excite a loyal fanbase that quickly grew into one of the biggest and loudest in the PDL. The large number of returning players also speaks to the club’s faith in the ability of former college stars to transition into a winning team at the professional level.

“The reality is that we’ve been building this USL roster for over a year,” Tormenta coach John Miglarese said. “”We purposely selected players to last year’s PDL team that we thought would be strong pro prospects. I am really excited that we’ve been able to retain a lot of them and sign them to our League One team. I believe in these players and I’m confident that they’re ready to make the jump.”

In addition to the returning players, Miglarese also mentioned that the club is looking to sign several more players who already have professional experience. The Statesboro Herald will continue to update the roster as more players sign.

Longtime soccer fans might also recognize a face on the Greenville sideline as Tormenta’s first opponent will be managed by former U.S. national team member and National Soccer Hall of Famer John Harkes.

“That’s definitely some name recognition,” Van Tassell said. “We’re excited to have Greenville as our first game. They are doing big things with their club and - with their location - this could turn into a good rivalry in our new league.”

In addition to taking the step up to the professional ranks, Tormenta will continue to field a developmental team with current collegiate players. As part of the United Soccer League’s rebranding, the former Premier Development League will now be known as USL League Two.

Details about the roster and schedule for the League Two squad - as well as a full schedule for the League One team - will be made public at a later date.