For many young athletes, “going pro” is a dream tucked in the back of their minds, but for Daniel D’Ippolito, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’26, it is now a reality. On Jan. 7, Connecticut United Football Club (CT United FC) announced that D’Ippolito, Fordham soccer’s senior midfielder, signed a contract to play for the team in the MLS Next Pro league.
“It was always a dream, obviously. As a little kid, you dream about playing pro sports, but I’d say just in high school it was always ‘go to college’ and try to play in college, and that was the first goal,” D’Ippolito said.
D’Ippolito started playing soccer for the local teams in his hometown of Somers, New York, and it quickly became a cornerstone of his life growing up. He became a standout player in the state of New York during high school, having been named New York State’s Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year, which led to his recruitment to the Fordham Men’s soccer program. D’Ippolito joined the squad during his first year at Fordham, where he played in 15 games for the Rams.
Having been on the younger side of his rookie class, D’Ippolito saw his game evolve quickly at the start of his career with Fordham, a career that was completed with the national honors of Atlantic 10’s Offensive Player and Midfielder of the Year.
This year, he was named “Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year” for the second consecutive season, a member of the College Sports Communicators’ “Academic All-America” team and was part of the Rams’ 2024 at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.
“Growing into it, having to be more physical (and) a little bit faster, having to think faster and play faster over the first year really allowed me to adjust,” D’Ippolito said of what helped strengthen his game. “Then, after the adjustment period, hitting my stride with the team and being comfortable on the field with my teammates and my coaches and being able to have success at the end because of it.”
With the Fordham squad, D’Ippolito has found a lot of success on the field and in the classroom. This year, he was named “Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year” for the second consecutive season, a member of the College Sports Communicators’ “Academic All-America” team and was part of the Rams’ 2024 at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.
For Fordham Men’s Soccer Head Coach Carlo Acquista, one of his main priorities is setting his athletes up for success in their careers both on and off the field. Since D’Ippolito finished his degree in December, Acquista has expressed how special it has been to see his player do both at the same time.
“Our job as head coaches or leaders of the program is to bring in the best possible student-athlete first, and I always say if you can combine both and get a big-time job in either side of your career, which is obviously scholastically or in the sport, then I’ve done my job,” Acquista said. “So it is a little extra special that it is the sport of soccer, where (D’Ippolito has) been working his tail off since he was a young kid, and now he has the opportunity to make his career out of it.”
Any player is what you don’t see; it’s the hard work behind the scenes. Carlo Acquista, Fordham Men’s Soccer Head Coach
Professional soccer became more of a goal than a dream after D’Ippolito’s sophomore year season at Fordham, when he began receiving opportunities to be seen by professional programs.
“Being a consistent starter after that year, I was like, ‘Oh, this is something I could push for.’ And then after junior year, it became a reality of getting opportunities to go train with teams or getting opportunities to go to pre-season,” D’Ippolito said. “Finally getting the contract offer was the weight off the shoulders.”
Securing the final contract offer with CT United FC is not only a reflection of his skills as a player, but is also the culmination of all the hard work D’Ippolito has put into his game across his career.
“Any player is what you don’t see; it’s the hard work behind the scenes. It’s doing the extra training, watching extra (film), really trying to become the best version of yourself, and Daniel did a great job of that, when people weren’t watching,” Acquista said.
The importance of drive was not lost on D’Ippolito. He was aware of the extra work needed to stand out to professional teams.
“Having the mentality of constant improvement, of being one percent better every day … trying to avoid comparing yourself to others and just really focusing on each day, each week, at each season,” D’Ippolito said. “Being able to separate yourself from the rest of people is making sacrifices that other people aren’t willing to make.”
D’Ippolito has been a dynamic player throughout his career at Fordham, leading the 2025 squad in points, assists and game-winning goals. He has proven to be a game-changing player.
“On the technical side, he’s got a knack to score goals and a knack to change the game at any moment, and that’s really hard to teach,” Acquista said.“That’s more of a natural instinct.”
The staff is super excited about getting started, so that is rubbing off on all of us and we are just excited to get started, and I am eager to see and feel what a professional season feels like. Daniel D’Ippolito, GSBRH ’26
As D’Ippolito transitions from collegiate soccer to professional soccer, he is thankful for his time as a Ram but excited to find his footing with CT United FC.
“I am obviously super grateful to Fordham for giving me the chance to play in college and giving me the platform to be able to move on with soccer in that aspect. And with Connecticut, my goal is to step into the professional realm of soccer and just get used to it, acclimate as fast as I can and try to make an impact within the team, especially with this being the first year,” D’Ippolito said.
2026 marks the inaugural season for CT United FC as a club. The team expects to kick off play in March of this year under the leadership of newly announced Head Coach Shavar Thomas.
“It is the first year as a team, so it’s nice to hop into a group that is brand new because everyone’s kind of in the same position,” D’Ippolito said. “The staff is super excited about getting started, so that is rubbing off on all of us and we are just excited to get started, and I am eager to see and feel what a professional season feels like.”
A spokesperson from CT United FC attested to the club’s excitement to have D’Ippolito as a member of their inaugural squad.
“Daniel joins CT United FC as a proven leader with an elite collegiate pedigree from Fordham University, where he served as team captain and established himself as one of the top midfielders in the Atlantic 10,” they said. “He brings a winning mentality and high-level production that will anchor and elevate our midfield. We’re excited to bring on a player who not only delivers results but elevates those around him.”
D’Ippolito joins 16 other athletes from across the world who have signed with CT United FC for their inaugural season in Bridgeport, Connecticut. As D’Ippolito transitions to professional soccer, Coach Acquista reflected on the opportunity D’Ippolito has to continue to impact the program.
“What he’s doing now and what he’s going to do hopefully is going to help this program for years to come,” Acquistas said. “I think he’s going to have a larger impact when he’s gone.”
