Orlando City SC yesterday announced that they have sold out their entire 18,000 season-ticket inventory for '16, just 18 days since putting it on sale. That number of season-ticket holders ranks the club in the top three across MLS. Orlando City currently is just the fourth team to have a wait list. Over the club's first 13 home matches, it has averaged 32,973 fans, an MLS record for an expansion team. The franchise currently plays in the Citrus Bowl, with its new 25,500-seat stadium in downtown Orlando scheduled to open by September '16 (Ian Thomas, Staff Writer).
THE LIONS' SHARE: In Orlando, Richard Bilbao reports Orlando City SC owners are "looking into potentially expanding their foothold" on the local sports landscape. They have told the NWSL and USL Pro that they "want to launch Orlando-based teams in each of those leagues." Orlando’s USL Pro team is "set to begin play next season pending approval from the USL Pro league and MLS." Bilbao notes "rumor has it the NWSL also is looking to field its 10th team by next season." Details on the potential teams "remain unknown, but Orlando City likely would allow the teams to play" at the club's future $155M stadium and would "use them to cross-promote each other." Meanwhile, requests for subcontractor bids for construction of the new stadium "will come out this winter." General contractor Barton Malow is "reviewing the design documents based on the revised plans." Orlando City VP/Communications Lenny Santiago said that the firm "hopes to release all remaining packages to the subcontractor market in October with bids due in November, but that timetable is subject to change" (ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/14 issue).
