Pingry School Looks To Adjust Soccer Fields To Host US World Cup Trainings

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Pingry School is looking to make some adjustments to its athletic fields ahead of plans to host training for the 2026 U.S. Soccer World Cup in Basking Ridge.

The Pingry Corporation (Pingry School) at 131 Martinsville Road presented an application before the Bernards Township Zoning Board of Adjustment on Wednesday with its proposed plan.

Pingry is proposing to make a minor shift in the location of a current soccer field on the west side of the property and to reconfigure an adjacent field, currently used for baseball/softball, into a soccer field.

The proposal also includes related improvements including retaining walls, player seating, a terraced area for spectator seating, and a concrete sidewalk for access to the fields. Both fields will be natural grass fields.

Roger Mehner of Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, who is the attorney representing Pingry on the application, said the school previously built the current soccer field in the 90s to host the 1992 World Cup training for Italy and the U.S. Women's National Team.

"Again we are in the position to host training for the upcoming U.S. World Cup and some of the friendlies with the international club teams," said Mehner, who added the teams "have very strict standards."

The new proposed field configuration would consist of two soccer fields - a 330-foot by 210-foot field and another 345-foot by 223-foot field. Along with an expanded viewing area that includes a grandstand of six rows of seating constructed as a tiered wall system and not metal bleachers.

There will also be a small covered area for viewing in inclement weather.

"No new programs are coming in, no more students, no more anything - it's just an improvement, and the existing uses will continue to enable us to continue to host these visiting teams occasionally and otherwise be used for our own educational and athletic programs," said Mehner.

The application hearing was carried to the March 5 Zoning Board meeting where Pingry's final witness, a Planner, will testify.

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