AFC Ann Arbor was founded in 2014 by local players, entrepreneurs, and fans who shared a vision: to create a community-based club that would grow the game and reflect the spirit of Ann Arbor.

The men’s team debuted in the Great Lakes Premier League before joining the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in 2016, quickly earning a reputation for excellence both on and off the field. Over four NPSL seasons, The Mighty Oak reached the playoffs every year — the only club in league history to do so in its first four seasons — and captured back-to-back Great Lakes Conference titles in 2017 and 2018.

In 2017, former AFC Ann Arbor defender Lars Eckenrode became the club’s first player selected in the MLS Draft by Toronto FC. The following year, Joseph Okumu was named TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Year before signing with Real Monarchs (USL). His subsequent transfer to IF Elfsborg in Sweden — and later to KAA Gent in Belgium and Stade de Reims in France’s Ligue 1 — made history, generating AFC Ann Arbor’s first FIFA solidarity payments.
To date, more than a dozen players have advanced from AFC Ann Arbor to professional careers across North America, Europe, and Asia.

In 2018, the club announced the launch of a women’s pre-professional team, which began play in 2019 in the United Women’s Soccer (UWS) league. Former Japanese international Mami Yamaguchi scored the team’s first goal that season.

Both the men’s and women’s programs paused play in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but returned stronger than ever in 2022 — each joining the United Soccer League (USL) structure, with the men in USL League Two and the women in the USL W League.

That same year, the women’s side captured its first trophy, winning the Michigan Milk Cup championship in dominant fashion. The club also celebrated a new wave of professional signings, including Jayde Riviere (Manchester United), Chloe Ricketts (Washington Spirit), and several others, with Ricketts becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the NWSL.

AFC Ann Arbor returned to its original home at Hollway Field at Pioneer High School in 2023, continuing its legacy of community connection and player development.

Through challenges like the COVID-19 hiatus, AFC Ann Arbor stayed true to its purpose — using soccer as a platform for good. Initiatives like The Mighty Oak Project, Community Kicks, and CLR Academy have expanded opportunities for youth, promoted wellness, and fought racial inequity in the sport. The club also helped found the Anti-Racist Soccer Club coalition, standing for inclusion and accountability across all levels of the game.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 2017 & 2018 NPSL NPSL Great Lakes Conference Champions

• 2017 & 2018 NPSL Midwest Region Finalists

• 2017 Men’s Michigan Milk Cup Champions

• 2022 Women’s Michigan Milk Cup Champions

• First player drafted by an MLS club: Lars Eckenrode (Toronto FC, 2017)

• First player in a European top division: Joseph Okumu (IF Elfsborg, Sweden; now with Stade de Reims, Ligue 1)

• First 15-year-old in NWSL history: Chloe Ricketts (Washington Spirit, 2023)