ST. PETERSBURG, Fla – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced today the club has signed local defenders Alex Rodriguez and Jesse Tita to USL Academy contracts for the 2026 USL Championship season, pending league and federation approval.
Under a USL Academy contract, players are eligible to play in professional matches while maintaining their college eligibility. Rodriguez and Tita are both eligible for selection for Tampa Bay’s Season Opener on the road this Saturday, March 7 against Birmingham Legion FC at 8 p.m. ET.
Rodriguez returns for his second year with the Rowdies. The 19-year-old inked a USL Academy contract with the club last April and went on to make seven total appearances across all competitions. Rodriguez has been training with the Rowdies throughout the preseason and has featured in all the club’s preseason matches.
Tita joins the Rowdies on a USL Academy contract after impressing the technical staff in preseason camp. The 19-year-old earned minutes in the Rowdies preseason matchup against CF Montreal and has regularly trained with the club’s development team, Tampa Bay Rowdies 2 since it launched last year.
