Oakland Roots move Spokane Velocity USL Cup match to Merritt College
Oakland Roots SC moved its Prinx Tires USL Cup match against Spokane Velocity FC to Merritt College in Oakland, turning the July 11 kickoff at 12 p.m. PT into a limited-capacity, members-only event. The club said tickets already purchased for the match, including single-game tickets, will transfer automatically to the new venue.
The switch followed the Oakland Coliseum schedule collision that surfaced in March, when Oakland Roots said the Spokane match would have to leave its original site because of Major League Cricket’s summer plans at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. Major League Cricket had announced that its 2026 playoffs and championship final would be staged there in July, and its fixture list shows Oakland matches running through June 28 before a playoff and final stretch on July 15, July 16 and July 18.
Merritt College gives Roots a workable fallback, but it changes the day in clear ways. The Merritt College Soccer Stadium is listed at 3,451 capacity and uses artificial turf, a far smaller and more contained setup than a major pro venue. That means a different crowd profile, a tighter atmosphere and a more controlled match-day environment for a game that still carries real Cup stakes, especially with the 2026 group stage set to finish on July 11.
Oakland Roots President Lindsay Barenz pointed to Merritt College and its Athletic Department as long-running partners in helping make the move possible for members. The college’s connection to the club runs deeper than one rescheduled fixture: in 2023, Oakland Soul said Merritt College and the Peralta Community College District had been partners with Oakland Roots and Soul for many years, with Merritt College President Dr. David M. Johnson underscoring that relationship.
For supporters, the practical changes are straightforward. The match stays in Oakland, keeps its noon start and remains on the final day of USL Cup group play, but access is now restricted and the setting is different. For Roots, the move shows how lower-division clubs are often forced to balance competition, venue availability and summer stadium traffic without losing the match’s local footprint.