Jacksonville’s Soccer Renaissance with Cole Pepper
From the Booth to the Bleachers: A Voice for Jacksonville Sports
For decades, Cole Pepper has been the voice guiding Jacksonville through its most memorable sports moments. These include gridiron clashes and baseball’s spring echoes. But now, he’s narrating a new chapter: the city’s full-tilt dive into professional soccer.
On this Wednesday Nite Live edition of The Contrast Project Lounge Podcast, Tracy Rigdon, Jim Alabiso, and Charles Gaskins welcomed Cole. They discussed breaking down a movement. It’s about more than just cleats and goals. It’s about culture and identity. It’s providing Jacksonville with something it’s long lacked: a thriving, inclusive soccer scene.
Pepper’s journey through broadcasting isn’t your typical resume reel. The man’s been in the game since childhood. His legacy of storytelling is now fused with his passion for sport. This passion is expressed in its most universal form: soccer.
Sporting Jax and the Blueprint for a Soccer City
Laying the Foundation for Jacksonville’s Soccer Future
The buzz around Sporting Jax isn’t hype, it’s momentum. The launch of the new men’s and women’s teams is putting Jacksonville on the map. The city is setting the stage to become a national force in soccer. And Cole Pepper, ever the local evangelist, is helping connect the dots between history, infrastructure, and fandom.
Sporting Jax isn’t just a team. It’s a cultural project. A new stadium will anchor a sprawling retail and entertainment district. This venture has more in common with Austin’s Q2 Stadium or Nashville SC’s Geodis Park. It is unlike old-school rec fields. It’s serious investment with community roots.
“You can’t build a team without building the city around it,” Cole noted. He emphasized the importance of integrating Sporting Jax into the social and economic DNA of the region.
Community Engagement: The Soul of the Soccer Movement
Why Relationships Matter in Sports (and Always Have)
You can stack rosters with international stars. You can build flashy stadiums. You can drop millions on marketing. However, if you don’t build trust with the people, you’ve built nothing.
Cole was adamant: community engagement isn’t a box to check; it’s the entire playbook.
That means more than youth clinics and halftime giveaways. It means forging long-term relationships with schools, clubs, grassroots organizations, and neighborhoods that feel overlooked by traditional sports pipelines.
“Winning is important, sure, but if the fan experience doesn’t move you, you’re not coming back,” he said.
In a media landscape where fans are bombarded with content, teams that show up offline will earn loyalty. They do this by appearing in classrooms, rec centers, and community cookouts. This loyalty is earned where algorithms can’t.
Women’s Soccer: The 2025 Debut That Could Redefine the Game
Cultivating Visibility, Youth Development, and Global Aspirations
The podcast featured one of the most charged segments. Cole and the crew focused on the 2025 debut of the Sporting Jax Women’s Team. In a city where women’s sports have long been an afterthought, this is not just overdue. It is a revolution in the making.
Cole made it clear: this team isn’t a side dish, it’s the main course. The vision is to not only dominate the league. It is also to become a world-class franchise. This team could rival the best women’s teams globally.
And that starts young.
With deliberate outreach to local girls’ clubs and development programs, Sporting Jax Women can create a complete pipeline. This spans from playgrounds to pro-level pitches.
“Youth development isn’t a strategy. It’s a responsibility,” Cole said. He emphasized the role professional teams have in shaping future athletes and community leaders.
Soccer’s Global Pull and Jacksonville’s Unique Position
A City on the Brink of Becoming a Soccer Powerhouse
As World Cup fever continues to mount, cities like Jacksonville are uniquely poised to catch the wave. The global game unites people across language, class, and background. In a city as diverse as Jax, that’s not just advantageous. It’s a mandate.
Cole sees Jacksonville as a sleeping giant. The city has the infrastructure of an NFL city. It has a growing population of transplants and immigrants. There is also an appetite for something fresh. The city could become one of the Southeast’s premier soccer hubs.
And let’s not ignore the timing: as the U.S. prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the visibility around domestic soccer is rising faster than ever. Jacksonville’s jumpstart with Sporting Jax is more than timely, it’s strategic.
Behind the Mic: Cole Pepper’s Origin Story
A Career in Sports Broadcasting Rooted in Passion and Precision
Before becoming the voice of Sporting Jax, Cole Pepper was already a household name in Jacksonville sports. But his story didn’t start in a press box, it started in childhood. Cole called games into a tape recorder. He shaped narratives that defined local sporting history. Cole’s path is paved with grit, mentorship, and relentless curiosity.
Throughout the interview, Cole’s love for the craft, both in broadcasting and community storytelling, was palpable. He’s not a hype man. He’s a connector. A translator of energy. And in a city craving authenticity, he’s exactly the right person to help usher in a new era of sports.
Local Talent, Global Dreams: Why Homegrown Players Matter
From Local Fields to Pro Pitches
Cole, Tracy, and the crew weren’t shy about addressing the elephant in the room. Jacksonville isn’t known for being a soccer incubator, yet.
But that could change.
Sporting Jax’s commitment to tapping into homegrown talent isn’t about feel-good optics. It’s about anchoring the team to the city in a way no billboard can. Local players bring local fans. They build identity, loyalty, and long-term investment.
The sports landscape is dominated by free agency and brand-driven transfers. Yet, the power of the local kid making it big can’t be overstated.
“People want to root for their own. That’s how you build a real fan base,” Cole said.
Game Day Experience: Beyond the Scoreboard
Making Match Day an Event for Everyone
When asked what makes soccer different, Cole focused on the experience. He mentioned the chants, the scarves, and the tension of a nil-nil draw. Then, a last-second goal makes the whole stadium explode.
He compared it to a concert, a block party, and a religious revival all wrapped into one.
With Sporting Jax, the plan is to cultivate that atmosphere from day one. From supporters’ groups to family zones, every fan, hardcore or casual, should find a home in the stadium.
“It’s not just what happens between the whistles, it’s what you feel in your bones,” Cole explained.
Looking Ahead: The 10-Year Vision for Sporting Jax
Building for the Long Haul
The conversation wrapped with a look into the future. Cole didn’t mince words. Ten years from now, he envisions Sporting Jax as one of the most successful franchises in American soccer. It will be beloved by fans of both men’s and women’s soccer.
That means infrastructure. That means wins. But most of all, it means people.
If the team continues investing in relationships, it will champion inclusivity. By prioritizing the fan experience, Jacksonville’s newest soccer obsession could become the city’s most defining brand.
“There’s no reason the best women’s team in the world can’t be from Jacksonville,” Cole said. And coming from someone who’s watched sports rise and fall here for decades, that’s not wishful thinking. It’s a warning shot to the rest of the country.
Conclusion: Soccer Isn’t Coming to Jacksonville, It’s Already Here
The rise of Sporting Jax isn’t just a sports story, it’s a cultural shift. Cole Pepper is on the mic. The people of Jacksonville are in the stands. This movement has legs, lungs, and legacy.
What we’re witnessing isn’t a fad, it’s a foundation.
And if you’re not paying attention, you’re going to miss history being made.
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