There are thousands of soccer teams in the US league system and we love finding clubs and getting to know them - then sharing that with you! A team we’ve been hoping to share for quite a while is the Lubbock Matadors. We had our slate of questions and Dustin McCorkle and Thomas Wolf kindly took the time to answer them.

Tell us the origin story of your club – when was the club founded? By whom and what was its mission?
The Lubbock Matadors were founded in 2020 with a simple but powerful mission: to bring high-level, community-driven soccer to West Texas. Our ownership group, made up of local business leaders and lifelong supporters of the game, wanted to build something that wasn’t just a soccer team, but a unifying force for the South Plains. Our ownership group is headed by Michael Hitchcock, who owns and operates 16 teams across the country, brings MLS experience with over 30 years of soccer knowledge and wisdom to a town that is now just budding in soccer.

We wanted to create a club that represents the culture, honor, passion, and pride of Lubbock. From day one, we’ve believed that when you anchor a club in a community, and you give people a team they can claim as their own, something special happens. That’s exactly what’s taken root here in the 806. Our values are Accountability, Believe, Compete, Grow Together, Embrace the Challenge. We tackle all of our decisions and strategies with those values in mind.

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
Our identity is built around everything that makes Lubbock unique:

● The Bull represents strength, poise, and showmanship
● Red, black, and Cotton everything Lubbock is red and black, and the Matadors stay true to what makes Lubbock so unique.
● Cotton known in West Texas, as a symbol of one of the things we do best.
● The M a secondary option that both has good symbolism of the Matadors but shortens it in an identifiable letter, horns are consistent in both

Everything about our brand is intentionally reflective of the community that built it.

With so many league options nowadays, what league do you play in and why did you pick that one?
We compete in the United Soccer League (USL) League 2—the largest national pre-professional/semi-pro league in the country.

We chose the USL 2 because:

● It allows us to showcase high-level talent while keeping strong ties to the community. ● The regional structure keeps travel manageable and fosters real rivalries.
● It provides a national platform with opportunities for postseason play.
● It aligns with our long-term goal of building a sustainable, scalable club model.

The league has been an ideal fit for our vision of competitive soccer rooted firmly in local identity.

Many clubs choose to sell hats, scarves or replica kits - how does your club keep the lights on and cover its league costs?
Like most USL clubs, we rely on a mix of creative, community-driven revenue streams:

● Ticketing: We have many ticketing initiatives that help bring our strong attendance #’s. Partnering with local youth teams, soccer leagues, and local businesses help really bring a great gameday environment.
● Sponsorships & partnerships: Local businesses have stepped up in a big way to support what we’re building.
● Merchandise: Yes, we sell hats, scarves, kits, and special-edition items, but we also focus on unique, fan-forward pieces that feel authentically Lubbock.
● Matchday activations, and community events all contribute.
If someone wants to support the club, the best ways are:

1. Come to matches, home crowds make us who we are.
2. Buy tickets for family, coworkers, or youth teams.
3. Grab some merch and rep the 806.
4. Partner with us commercially if you’re a business wanting visibility and impact.

How did you finish last year? What are the goals for your next season?
We gained tremendous momentum last season both on and off the field. We set two attendance records (6,233 & 6,384), broke our community event goal of 100 events, and started a youth academy to start fostering and developing youth talent here in West Texas.

On the field, we were competitive throughout the conference winning the NPSL Lonestar Conference, continuing on to making it to the Regional Championship, finally bowing out after 4 games in 10 days. We scored the most points in the conference, had the best goal differential, and had 3 nominations for Coach, Golden Glove, and Conference player of the year.

For the upcoming season, our goals are clear:

● Compete for the Conference and National Title.
● Continue integrating the youth pathway, ensuring the Lubbock Matadors can become a true local pipeline for future first-team players.
● Shatter more club records.

How do you participate in, or give back to, your community?
Community is the heartbeat of our club. We’re committed to serving beyond the field through: ● Youth Camps supporting the growth of the game at the grassroots level.

● The LSA ticket initiative, which brings thousands of youth players and families into the stadium and reinvests in local soccer.
● School visits, charity events, and partnerships with local nonprofits throughout the year.
● Our players and staff regularly volunteer and stay active in the wider West Texas community.

The mission has always been to be more than a soccer club, but to be a community asset.

If there were one or two teams within 100 miles to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
Tricky Question cause we are in the middle of nowhere when it comes to soccer. I think if we are talking within a 6 hour drive (the usual for us), I would say,

- Rematch against New Mexico United from our Open Cup 3rd round game - McKinney Chupacrabras, they are one of our sister teams, and very well ran with familiar faces and a great community behind them. Bulls vs Dogs

Follow the Lubbock Matadors and give them a follow on Instagram HERE