Todd Dunivant Departs Republic FC for NYCFC
Reporting confirmed by Tom Bogert of The Athletic
A defining chapter in Sacramento Republic FC’s history has closed. As first reported by Tom Bogert of The Athletic, Todd Dunivant will leave the Indomitable Club to become Chief Soccer Officer at New York City FC, ending a tenure that reshaped the trajectory of the organization and helped steady the club through both triumph and turbulence.
Dunivant has been at the center of Sacramento’s competitive and cultural identity since 2018, when he arrived as General Manager. Two years later he added the title of Club President, overseeing the most consistently successful stretch in Republic FC’s history. Under his leadership, the club reached the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final, returned to the forefront of American soccer conversation, and re-established itself as a model of stability and competitiveness in the USL Championship. Sacramento made the playoffs in all but one of his seasons and consistently built rosters capable of contending in both league play and knockout competitions.
Bogert notes that Dunivant was originally expected to remain Sacramento’s GM during the club’s 2019 MLS expansion bid. When the bid collapsed after Ron Burkle withdrew, Dunivant chose to stay, guiding the club through a period that could easily have led to decline or disarray. Instead, he helped define what Sacramento would become post-MLS: an ambitious, resilient, community-rooted club with aspirations that never disappeared, even when the pathway shifted.
His next step takes him back to Major League Soccer, where he inherits a talented but transitional NYCFC squad. Bogert reports that Dunivant will step into the role previously held by David Lee, who left this fall to join Sporting Kansas City.
For Sacramento, Dunivant’s departure is significant not only because of what he accomplished, but because of its timing. The club is entering a transformative phase: a new stadium rising in the Railyards, a new era under head coach Neill Collins, and a roster undergoing meaningful change. Sacramento’s ambitions remain high, and the framework Dunivant helped build—from recruitment to culture to long-range planning—will deeply influence whatever comes next.
Dunivant’s legacy in Sacramento extends beyond the boardroom. His background as a player—more than 300 MLS appearances, an MLS Best XI selection, multiple MLS Cups, two Supporters’ Shields, and a U.S. Open Cup title—shaped his approach as an executive. He carried the same professionalism and competitive edge into Sacramento’s front office, helping elevate standards across the organization.
His departure marks the end of an era for Republic FC. But it also marks the beginning of a new one—one where the club must choose its next leader at a moment when the stakes have never been higher. With a new home on the horizon and the club’s ambitions still pointing upward, Sacramento now faces one of its most consequential decisions.
For now, though, the story is simple:
Todd Dunivant leaves Sacramento stronger than he found it. And as Tom Bogert’s reporting makes clear, MLS clubs took notice.