I recently had the opportunity to interview Peter Marlette Jr., President and Founder of Buffalo Pro Soccer.[1] We were able to discuss Peter’s career from his professional soccer days and his role as General Manager for the Union Omaha to his current role bringing USL Soccer to Buffalo.
Transitioning from Playing Soccer into Early Career
Born and raised in Buffalo, Peter has always had a close connection to soccer, playing four years of varsity soccer at Nichols, where he won two state championships and several awards, including All-Star Western New York and All-State Honors.[2] Peter went on to play collegiate soccer at Trinity College in Connecticut, where he was named an All-American in 2009. Peter eventually played professionally in the National Premier League for Wooden Valley FC, where he set a club record for goals scored in a season.
Peter then transitioned to the business side of sports, working at ADPRO Sports for several years. During his time at ADPRO, Marlette Jr. brokered partnerships between brands like Nike and Adidas and college sports and professional club teams. While not his forever role, Marlette Jr. is pleased with the skills he gained during his time at ADPRO, which would become influential in his later career roles. Marlette Jr. eventually went on to obtain his Master’s in Sports Management from the prestigious A.I.S.T.S. Program in Switzerland, which allowed him to work with organizations such as FIFA, UEFA, and the IOC.[3] Upon finishing his Master’s, Marlette Jr. knew he wanted to work in a soccer club and thus landed at FC Dallas in Corporate Marketing and Partnerships, where he proved he could generate revenue for a professional soccer club.
Union Omaha General Manager Role
After departing FC Dallas, Peter landed a role as General Manager at Union Omaha, making him the youngest GM in Pro Soccer at the time, where he oversaw both soccer and business operations. During his three years at Union Omaha, Marlette Jr. built four teams that won the Players’ Shield (regular season champions) three times, and the league twice, and placed first or second in the Key Revenue Categories in the USL League One.[4] Outside his professional successes at Union Omaha, Marlette Jr. claims that the most rewarding part of being a GM was “connecting and building an authentic relationship with the community and the fanbase.” Additionally, Marlette Jr. noted another notable success during his time at Union Omaha was the creation of a Special Olympics Unified Team. Marlette claims that his decision to create a Special Olympics Team was driven by growing up watching a family friend’s sister succeed in Special Olympics Events. Such successes were extremely uncommon in the USL, which is no surprise given that the USL eventually approached Peter after his success at Omaha to create a USL team for Buffalo.
Peter states the most challenging part of his role as GM at Union Omaha was the time he took on the position. When he was offered the position, the club had existed for one, COVID-shortened year. During that year, it met some challenges, which, while unfortunate for the club, ultimately enabled him to build a front-office staff that understood how he wanted the club to operate.
Returning to Buffalo
Over the past two years, Marlette Jr. has been working diligently on bringing a professional soccer team to Buffalo. He cites the capital raise as the most challenging part, but once he secured his first notable investment and successfully “got over the hump,” the rest was history. “It’s a good investment [professional soccer], just not one you’ve ever thought about.” Additionally, Buffalo’s “innate skepticism” made it difficult to overcome when building the brand.
Just as he was able to build a connection with the fans and community in Omaha, Peter intends to do the same in Buffalo. Once a month, Marlette Jr. and Buffalo Pro Soccer hold a Town Hall Meeting, an open-to-the-public event where he answers community questions about the Club. Peter’s primary goal of hosting these Town Hall events is to hear from the public. According to him, anyone who is willing to come spend an hour of their night listening to Peter answer questions has at least some interest in the team. Whether you are a skeptic or a fan, Peter wants to hear your input.
There is no question that the city of Buffalo revolves around the Bills and the Sabres. Luckily for Buffalo sports fans, the USL season runs from March through October, meaning there will be relatively little overlap with the other sports that dominate this city. There is no doubt that there are skeptics of Buffalo Pro Soccer’s development, and Marlette Jr. is fully aware of those skeptics. In the face of skepticism, Peter wants to remind Buffalo what a professional soccer team will bring: a 10,000-seat stadium that will attract concerts, festivals, and professional sports events such as rugby, lacrosse, and other sports played on such a field. Marlette Jr. and the stadium’s contractors have been working diligently to build the stadium “in a way that envisions concerts.” Buffalo Pro Soccer hopes to guarantee what Marlette calls a “$15 get in the door ticket,” which will allow fans of live sports to get in to the stadium and have a fun, enjoyable night without breaking the bank. Even if you know nothing about soccer but love live sports, the atmosphere in the stadium will guarantee a good time. Additionally, Peter wants skeptics to consider the positive impact the stadium will bring to the surrounding businesses.
Buffalo Pro Soccer (official club name to be announced soon!) plans to field a professional men’s team by 2027 and a professional women’s team soon after. Those interested in the Club’s development can follow Buffalo Pro Soccer on Instagram, LinkedIn, and its website.
Thank you, Peter, for providing me with the opportunity to learn more about your career and Buffalo Pro Soccer. I enjoyed hearing about your experiences working in professional soccer and the path that landed you where you are today.
Photo credits: https://www.buffaloprosoccer.com/front-office/
[1] Buffalo Pro Soccer, Front Office, Buffalo Pro Soccer, https://www.buffaloprosoccer.com/front-office/ (last visited Nov. 3, 2025).
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
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