NASL club Minnesota United FC Owner Bill McGuire "has partnered on a potential MLS bid" with Twins Owner Jim Pohlad and T'Wolves Owner Glen Taylor, "both of whom were present" during a recent meeting with MLS Commissioner Don Garber and President & Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott, according to Brian Straus of SI.com. There also is "reason to believe that an investor in English Championship club Derby County has joined McGuire." The Vikings "have gone public with their desire to field an MLS team" of their own inside their $1B stadium scheduled to open in summer '16, and as a result, United "has been forced to consider all options." United is "now among minor league soccer’s flagship franchises," drawing "around 6,000 fans per game to the National Sports Center." Straus: "United is doing just fine. It just may have reached a point where it must do more." United President Nick Rogers: "You've seen a lot of teams out there, whether you're talking about Sacramento, who's probably the most vocal, or some other places, where they sort of fan the flames. We have made a point of staying away from all that. We've taken a very club-centric approach to what we're doing. We care about establishing a high level of pro soccer in this market and that's what we intend to be for a long time." MLS' BOG "expects to meet with both McGuire’s group" and the Wilfs, who own the Vikings, "in December, when it gathers for the MLS Cup final." Although United "isn’t in a hurry, the Vikings are facing a time crunch." Vikings Exec VP/Public Affairs & Stadium Development Lester Bagley: "We’ve got about 20 months from having the stadium open. So we are at the point in construction were we have to factor this element in. We will be at the point soon on whether to invest or not. We are not there yet" (SI.com, 10/9). In Minneapolis, Michael Rand reports members of the United group are privately "confident that if Minneapolis is awarded an expansion franchise, their group will get it." The biggest obstacle "remains securing a stadium site and funding, though the inclusion of billionaires Pohlad and Taylor in their group enhances their position." The United group "has renderings for an outdoor downtown stadium near the Farmers Market, though the drawings have not been made public" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/9).
NEW INVESTORS IN THE SAC: In Sacramento, Dale Kasler noted USL Pro club Sacramento Republic FC on Monday "announced a new lineup of investors," including MMA fighter Urijah Faber. Faber "is joining a group dominated by business people who are also minority co-owners" of the NBA Kings. But there is a "striking difference between the two teams’ ownership groups," as unlike basketball, the soccer team "is firmly in the control of Sacramentans." A dozen Kings investors "have signed on with Republic FC" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 10/7).
