Editor’s Note: Their transiton to the Premier Developmental League was made official by the Wilmington Hammerheads on Thursday, Sept. 29, a week after this story was published.

In a move that had been rumored for months prior, the Wilmington Hammerheads have announced the organization will be departing from the United Soccer League at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

The move effectively ends the Port City’s lone professional club.

Sources familiar with the situation confirmed the news Thursday morning. The possibility of relocation had been in discussion for months prior to this week.

The Hammerheads are a locally owned team that once went on a one-year hiatus during the 2010 season. Efforts by local business officials brought the club back to Legion Stadium, where the team has played since 2003, one year later.

Founded in 1996, the club has built a loyal following in the last two decades. Fans regularly fill the Legion Sports Complex for home games each summer. 

As a member of the USL, the third leg of the American Soccer Pyramid, the Hammerheads are in their 20th year.

Their current record stands at 7-12-10 with 31 points; good for ninth in the USL’s Eastern Conference.

It was made known by StarNews Online that the team will be part of the Premier Development League, which acts as unofficial fourth leg of competitive soccer in the United States and Canada.

Wilmington is scheduled to play its regular season finale Saturday at home against the Richmond Kickers. The Hammerheads are vying for the league’s final playoff spot, as they are currently tied with Orlando City B in the standings with one match to go.

Michael Mecham, a rookie for the Hammerheads, is a former UNC Wilmington soccer player. His final season concluded in 2015.

“I don’t think [the fans will] be too happy,” Mecham said Thursday. “But I also don’t think they will be too surprised. I think most of the fans are prepared for the worst and already believe the team is gone.”

Mecham played his entire collegiate career at UNCW. His brother, Shane, is a sophomore member of the school’s men’s soccer team. He transitioned to the Hammerheads less than two months after playing his final game with the Seahawks.

“Obviously, [the team moving] makes things a little more complicated,” he said. “But I was always going to have to find another contract … Whether that was here or somewhere else. It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of the job.”

It’s worth noting that one possible reason for departing could be the city’s size — according to The Washington Post, Wilmington is the smallest of the USL’s 29 markets.

Members of the Wilmington Hammerheads’ front office could not be reached for comment by the time of publishing this story.