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MLS' Attempts At Expansion Still In The Air As Cities Struggle To Put Together Bids

MLS' planned expansion to 28 clubs drew what initially was deemed "too many" bids when 12 groups applied for a team, but just five months later, there "may not be eight, or even six, viable bidders by the end," according to Brian Straus of SI.com. No city has "officially dropped," but the expansion landscape now "looks far different than it did in January." Two cities that were "very heavy favorites to earn one of the four spots -- St. Louis and San Diego -- now need a miracle to remain in the race." The St. Louis group’s proposal to "funnel revenue collected from a new business use tax toward construction of a downtown stadium was defeated in an April referendum." Meanwhile, San Diego’s investment group, which includes former MLSer Landon Donovan, "didn’t even get that far." Many San Diego and St. Louis residents "felt burned by the money-driven departure of their respective NFL teams." Public-private partnerships are "common throughout the country on stadiums." However, asking for "anything in the current climate -- even if no public money is involved -- is fraught with peril." The MLS effort in Charlotte, which was "among the favorites thanks to the city’s size and importance in a growing area of the country, is on life support after the city declined to approve the funneling of tax revenue earmarked for tourism toward a portion of a stadium." Additionally, an effort in Indianapolis to get the state legislature to "pass a bill allowing taxes generated at and adjacent to a new soccer stadium to be spent on its construction has gone nowhere." Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert and Pistons Owner Tom Gores have "offered to foot the cost of a brand new jail and courthouse in exchange for a plot of downtown land where an unfinished prison now sits" in Detroit. However, the Wayne County government has "yet to make a decision, and there’s some local opposition to handing over such a prime piece of property."

NOT OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER: MLS President & Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott said that the league is "far from discouraged" about the expansion candidates. Straus noted there are "still six months to go," and that time will show whether the USL Tampa Bay Rowdies or Phoenix Rising can "raise the funds required for their new facilities." Both clubs are "asking for no public money." USL FC Cincinnati Owner & CEO Carl Lindner III and John Ingram, the leader of Nashville's bid, both are "hoping to strike public-private partnerships in cities that appear hungry for new pro sports options." FC Cincinnati "plans to build a new stadium on one of three sites," while the Nashville group is "targeting two sites at the city's Fairgrounds for a new soccer stadium." Questions "remain in Raleigh and San Antonio" -- MLS is "intrigued by soccer’s potential in the Alamo city and it loves the Spurs’ ownership group, but it remains to be seen whether a new Toyota Field will be funded and sufficient." Meanwhile, there has been "little in the way of public MLS stadium progress" in Raleigh. That bid "still feels like a bit of a long shot at the moment." While all the other cities jockey for position, Sacramento "waits, and waits, having fulfilled all the league's criteria and overcome a few obstacles of its own" (SI.com, 6/23).

MAKING DEALS: FC Cincinnati has hired Premier Partnerships to help it identify and secure long-term commercial partnerships as part of its pursuit of an MLS expansion franchise. The team is one of the 12 groups aiming for four spots in MLS. Premier Partnerships recently helped AMB Sports & Entertainment secure the first kit sponsor for Atlanta United during that club’s inaugural MLS season (Ian Thomas, Staff Writer).

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