The March 25 announcement of NASL club Minnesota United FC's future move to MLS "triggered rapid ticket sales and increased visibility with sponsors, making Saturday's match" against the San Antonio Scorpions "a critical checkpoint," according to David La Vaque of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. The match is expected to be a "rare sellout crowd at the 8,500-seat National Sports Center Stadium" in Blaine, Minn. Senior Dir of Ticket Sales Sean Sittnick said that ticket sales for the game "were approaching the 8,059 at last July’s match with the Mexico U-21 team" and "could rival the 9,064" at the match against EPL club Swansea City last July. Sittnick added that more than 3,500 season tickets have been sold, "surpassing goals his team initially projected to reach by season’s end," and that he "anticipates selling 5,000 season tickets by midseason." The club announced that the first 10,000 season-ticket holders "receive a priority seat number in the forthcoming MLS stadium." Minnesota United VP/Business Development Andrea Yoch said that the move to MLS, which could happen as early as '17, "improved the club’s ability to attract and strengthen relationships with sponsors." She added that the "last piece" is "finding a sponsor for the front of United FC's jerseys" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/24).
WHOSE STADIUM IS IT ANYWAY? In Minneapolis, Kristen Leigh Painter noted Avaya Stadium in San Jose is one of the three in MLS that were "built with no public money," which is a model that Minnesota United Owner Bill McGuire and his partners "are largely emulating with their proposal to spend" $150M on a new soccer-specific stadium. The ownership group "is proposing an 18,500-seat soccer stadium that will be able to capitalize on the latest ideas in marketing, architecture and layout." Club officials also are "drawing ideas" from other MLS venues like Providence Park and Sporting Park. The Timbers' venue "carries one important similarity to the Minnesota United project: it’s in the heart of the city and accessible by light rail." McGuire: "We think that Kansas City is pretty good. It’s better than pretty good. It’s great" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/23).
FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE: Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges in a special to the STAR TRIBUNE wrote she was "disappointed" when she learned "through the press last week that despite characterizing the proposal as 'privately financed,' the high-powered investment group" led by McGuire is "seeking a public subsidy from regional and state taxpayers for its new soccer stadium." Not paying property taxes on a private development "is a direct public subsidy," and there is "no need for a subsidy for this facility, or for this ownership group." Hodges: "I would love to see a privately financed stadium that pays property taxes just like every other privately financed development, regardless of the size. However, the McGuire group’s proposal fails the fairness test to other Minneapolis taxpayers" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/23).
