U.S. Soccer Hall closes building, moving exhibits

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ONEONTA, N.Y. (AP) -- The U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum is shutting down its building.

The Hall announced Sept. 22 that it was closing except on days of special events, and on Wednesday the Hall said it will seek to transfer its 62-acre campus to the Otsego County Development Corporation, which will immediately start managing the property. The transfer must be approved by state agencies and the state Supreme Court.

"The National Soccer Hall of Fame is saddened to be closing our doors in Oneonta, a city and region that has showed great support for both the museum and the sport long before we opened here," Hall president Jonathan Ullman said. "Ultimately, we need to move forward in a manner that maximizes our resources and provides the greatest possible access by the public."

The Hall opened in 1979 and has been in its current building since 1999. It will require that soccer programs be continued at the current complex but will allow the building and grounds to be used for other purposes.

Exhibitions will be distributed to several locations around the nation, and archives will be stored by Eurosport, a Hall sponsor, in Hillsborough, N.C. Annual elections will continue.

"As we transition into a new and more sustainable operating model, we will continue to promote and celebrate the Hall of Famers and their accomplishments," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said.

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