I was just looking at the other various candidates for MLS expansion: Orlando, Minnesota, San Antonio. something struck me about them that started to worry me about a potential MLS expansion to Carolina. I noticed that in every single instance, each team had only a single team in the NASL/USL. Having only a single team represent them meant that the entirety of that city's or region's fanbase could be concentrated into one team, maximizing attendance and therefore getting the attention of MLS. Carolina, on the other hand, has not one, not two, not three, but FOUR NASL/USL teams. While this gives each major community in our states a hometown team to cheer for, I fear that having so many teams to support may hurt Carolina's chances for MLS expansion. Rather than unite all of our soccer fans around a single club, Carolina's huge soccer fanbase is divided among four clubs, diluting attendance figures and keeping any one of our teams from getting enough attention from MLS to warrant a true expansion consideration. So I ask you: do you guys think that the Carolinas have too many lower division clubs for us to effectively mount an MLS expansion campaign?
No. Each market would have to be evaluated on a much smaller scale to get the go-ahead; for example, Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte would be evaluated independently. (Charleston has said that they are happy where they are and would not like to be an MLS expansion team.) Any attendance from Wilimington, Greensboro, Richmond, Charleston would be gravy but would not be factored in the decision to expand there. Btw, Tampa (NASL) & Orlando (USL) are much closer than any of the teams in the Carolinas.
More minor league clubs mean more professional soccer fans, which can only help an MLS bid. For those of us who will support an MLS team anywhere in the Carolinas, we should welcome it.
