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Charlotte's USL Pro Team Changes Hands; Ownership Sees Rebrand As Step Toward MLS

A group led by MLL Charlotte Hounds President & Managing Partner Jim McPhilliamy has acquired the rights to the city’s USL Pro franchise from the Charlotte Eagles. The club will be renamed the Charlotte Independence and treated as an expansion franchise by both ownership and the league. McPhilliamy said ownership has aspirations of jumping to MLS at some point, but there is no timetable for doing so. In the meantime, the club is on the verge of an affiliation with the Rapids, and several execs from the MLS club were in attendance at yesterday’s announcement, including club President Tim Hinchey. The team will play its home games at American Legion Memorial Stadium, where the Hounds play. McPhilliamy said the team is investing a “significant sum” to renovate the county-owned facility, which needs to be widened to accommodate a soccer pitch. While the Hounds currently pay rent to Mecklenburg County to play their seven home games at the facility, McPhilliamy said that he plans to renegotiate that arrangement due to his group funding the expansion. The stadium’s capacity for Independence matches will be about 13,800. The group’s business plan calls for an average attendance of at least 5,000 per game to be viable, a figure USL President Tim Holt said is “about three times” what the Eagles were drawing. But Holt cited a fundamental difference in the clubs’ business models as a reason the Independence could meet its goal. The Eagles are operated by Missionary Athletes Int’l, a faith-based organization dedicated to fostering religious values through soccer. Holt said they operated “in a foundation, not-for-profit mentality type of way.” He added of the Independence, “You’ve got experienced sports executives, you’ve got a relationship with an MLS team, you’ve got a great market with a growing urban center, you’ve got a good venue after the renovations. So all the elements are there. If we were never in Charlotte, this would be a perfect expansion situation.”

THE NEXT ORLANDO? Holt said Charlotte compares favorably to the Orlando market, where Orlando City SC in just four years has successfully established a rabid fan base and is set to make the jump to MLS next season. He also cited the turnout of almost 70,000 for a friendly between Liverpool and AC Milan at Bank of America Stadium last month, as well as Charlotte’s vibrant youth soccer community, as indicators the franchise is set up for success. The crowd of about 250 people at yesterday’s public announcement was made up of children and adults alike, many wearing apparel featuring marks of local soccer organizations, as well as Independence scarves given to those who put down season-ticket deposits of $50 per seat. The team announced OrthoCarolina will be its presenting sponsor. The orthopedic practice, which will have its logo on the team’s home and away kits, is also sponsoring an online vote through which fans can choose from 12 potential logos. Independence COO Wade Leaphart said that fans will also be able to leave specific feedback on the team’s branding in an effort to ensure the team represents the community.

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