The Sac Soccer group has purchased Sacramento Republic FC, making the USL club part of a bid for inclusion in MLS, and Sac Soccer Chair & CEO Kevin Nagle said that MLS officials have "indicated an announcement of which cities are chosen for expansion teams won’t come until December," according to Ben van der Meer of the SACRAMENTO BUSINESS JOURNAL. Nagle noted the league's original schedule "called for announcing two expansion teams at midyear." Nagle, Sacramento Republic FC President Warren Smith and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg all said that they were "still highly confident in the city’s chances." Smith said that Sacramento has "checked all three boxes" with an "ownership team, established soccer market and a build-ready stadium plan." Both Smith and Nagle said that they would "emphasize the commitment to a unified front." Yesterday's announcement of the team acquisition "included a new motto and initiative, #BringItHome" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/15). ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle noted Sacramento Republic FC will be the "official identity of Sacramento's prospective MLS team." Sacramento has long been "considered an expansion favorite given an ownership group" that contains 49ers CEO Jed York and HP Enterprise President & CEO Meg Whitman, "not to mention that it has a shovel-ready stadium plan." Republic FC also had the "second-highest attendance in the 29-team USL last season, averaging over 11,000 fans per game." But Sacramento "faces stiff competition" as one of 12 cities vying for four MLS expansion slots (ESPNFC.us, 5/15).
LOCAL NEWS: In Sacramento, Ryan Lillis noted fans will be "asked to submit design proposals for a park outside a planned downtown railyard stadium, local construction firms are being sought for the stadium project, and, much like Golden 1 Center, the team will recruit local restaurants, farms and breweries to supply concessions at the new soccer stadium" (SACBEE.com, 5/15).
