MLS will not consider Las Vegas as an expansion market until after ‘18, according to a letter that Commissioner Don Garber sent to Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman. The local ownership group lobbying the league had received approval in December from the city council for public stadium funding if awarded a team. However, following a lawsuit brought forth by a council member, the status of that funding was uncertain. Following Garber’s letter, the city has said that deal is off. Garber in his letter said the decision comes “given the timing of our expansion rollout and the uncertainty as to when we might be able to move forward in Las Vegas.” Garber has previously stated the league hopes to make a decision on its next two expansion teams in the first half of this year (Ian Thomas, Staff Writer). In Las Vegas, Snel & DeHaven in a front-page piece note Sacramento and Minneapolis "remain in the competition" as expansion franchises. MLS President & Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott on Thursday said there was “no one factor” in dropping Las Vegas from consideration. A master development agreement on the proposed $200M, 24,000-seat stadium for Symphony Park up for a City Council vote on Wednesday stipulates that if Las Vegas "isn’t picked for an MLS team, either the city or the stadium developer can terminate the soccer stadium deal." City Manager Betsy Fretwell said the agreement is clear that a soccer stadium “absolutely would not” go forward without an MLS “commitment” to the city. Mayor Carolyn Goodman vowed she “wouldn’t give up” on creating a venue for a major-league franchise. The decision "severs the city’s relationship with" Cordish Cos., "the development company hired during the administration of former mayor Oscar Goodman to recruit a major-league team to downtown" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/13).
