MLS Dynamo Near Lease Extension For Univ. Of Houston Stadium

Dynamo Nearing Lease Extension To Continue Playing At Robertson Stadium

The MLS Dynamo and the Univ. of Houston (UH) are "close to signing a lease extension that will allow" the Dynamo to play home games at the school's Robertson Stadium through at least the '09 season, according to Bernardo Fallas of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Dynamo COO Chris Canetti said that the extension includes a team option for the 2010 season "should a new home for the team not be finalized," though Dynamo President & GM Oliver Luck "remains optimistic about reaching a deal with the city of Houston for a downtown soccer stadium by summer's end." Luck said that a proposed partnership with Texas Southern Univ. for the shared use of the new facility is "in the advanced stages." UH AD Dave Maggard said that exercising the option on Robertson Stadium would "entail a percentage increase on the lease for that year." Both sides declined to disclose the financial details. Fallas notes the Dynamo are in the final year of a three-year, $1.7M deal with UH for the use of the stadium, and under the current deal UH "collects a 20[%] cut of concessions revenue and 50[%] of net parking income" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/25).