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The Maine Black Bears have not played a football game in Portland since 2018, but that could change in the next few years thanks to a United Soccer League (USL) League One squad.
The Portland Hearts of Pine announced plans to begin construction of a soccer-specific stadium in 2027, with completion in 2029. The stadium will seat around 9,000 to 11,000 people. This allows the squad to move out of the aging Fitzpatrick Stadium, which also hosted Maine’s Portland football games.
The move shows soccer’s growth in the region, especially on the heels of the opening of Pawtucket’s Centreville Bank Stadium in 2025. Centreville Bank has become an epicenter of college football in Rhode Island, hosting the Governor’s Cup between Rhode Island and Brown last season. It will host all of Rhode Island’s home slate this season during Meade Stadium’s ongoing renovations. Additionally, Brown will host Harvard at the stadium this year.
Reasonably, Maine could find an occasional home in the new Portland Stadium. The Black Bears would benefit from an increased presence in Portland. The program has seen a steady decline in home attendance. 2025’s average home attendance of 4,316 was the lowest mark since 2012 and a 39 percent drop from 2018’s home attendance.
Not only is Portland the most populous city in Maine, but it is also easier for Maine’s Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference opposing fan bases to reach than Orono. As the CAA becomes more dispersed, access to major airports is a greater concern for generating revenue from opposing fan bases. Portland International Jetport has direct flights to Baltimore (Towson), Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte (NC A&T, Elon, and Norfolk (Hampton). Conversely, Bangor Airport, approximately 20 minutes from Orono, only has direct service to Washington, D.C. and seasonal service to Norfolk, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham.
Finally, a game in Portland represents a step closer to a presence in the Boston region. No one will mistake Portland for the Greater Boston area, but the city is around two hours closer to Boston than Orono is. It would combine with the Black Bears’ recent increase in visits to the area. This year, the program plays at Boston College for the second time since 2022, and they played at Merrimack the last two seasons.
The Maine Black Bears are long overdue in visiting the Pine Tree State’s largest city. After Rhode Islanders’ response to football at their new USL stadium, moving games to Portland seems like an easy choice when the city completes its stadium.
