Las Vegas is part of the discussion now involving the new Western Soccer Conference that Stu Starkey of the Phoenix Monsoon is promoting . . . Here's the full interview clip on Kenn.com's blog: http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?p=3452 It is talking almost entirely about Phoenix at this point and their plans, but mentions Las Vegas around the 2:15 mark and also goes into the "comfort of fans" issues of playing in the heat around the 4:00 mark. USL Pro would be a great starting point for Las Vegas, and with any success I think that Phoenix, San Diego and Las Vegas could all be part of a Southwestern Division in a much larger 24+ team MLS in the next decade or so.
That's in reference to the specific facility here in Phoenix that was Phoenix Greyhound Park. All the seating is inside, behind glass, and the field (were one to be constructed on the racing infield) would be outside. If you have an abandoned greyhound park in Vegas with a similar setup, that would apply, else you'd be talking about some sort of indoor facility or something with a retractable roof, neither of which exist at the moment, right? Big leap from USL Pro to MLS. Within a decade or not. We are, quite frankly, quite a ways away from these teams even taking the field at the D3 level. To envision MLS, even in the next decade or so, is unrealistic at this point. The funding requirements for MLS are so much higher for MLS, and the stadiums requiring so much more investment, it would have to be either a lot more than 'any success' or you'd need someone in those cities who would say (as Dave Checketts did), "Don't care what you say, here's the check, we're doing it." And there's no guarantee MLS will be 24+ teams in the next decade or so. We presume 20 only because 19 is unwieldy. The next several months will tell the tale as to whether USL is able to come up with enough teams to have its regional divisions setup, whether this kind of pre-pro league in the Southwest will actually happen and whether any of these mentioned cities will have teams at all.
If they can pull that off, using an abandoned Greyhound park with fans in air conditioned comfort, whilst the players are outside in the 105 degree heat it'll be great. Notice I said "if" they can pull that off. It might be able to be built, but will the spectacle of the majority of fans behind a pane of glass be a great idea or a awful one.
In regards to a greyhound track and being behind the glass. In the '09 season, Spokane in the PDL played at an old Greyhound racetrack, with the glass seating and everything. Obviously the quality of play, locker rooms, and such would be better seeing that it would be a pro outfit: but, I can personally say that sitting behind the glass was off putting. I could have been sitting at home at that point feeling just the same. I talked to a bunch of the players and at no time could they hear any crowd members at all. I think its an indoor facility or nothing if they are seriously looking at a team in Vegas. A team there is a great idea as there is few rival sporting events taking place, not to mention the thousands of Hispanic workers in the area. Without a stong Latino influence though that is not a guaranteed audience. Its real catch 22 stuff in Vegas i think. But all the games could be played at night as well. The temp drops quite a bit at night. I used to play down in New Orleans and we had to train at night and all of our games were night games. I don't know how UNLV does it but I bet their football team plays at night. So there is another alternative. Night games are more fun anyways. Just thought I'd throw some perspective in on the greyhound track. I was so bad they were barred from playing there the following season, but mostly because there weren't locker rooms, and there were drainage grates on the field.
Don't have to build it ("it" being the actual seating structure). It's there. Infrastructurally, it's ready to go. You'd just have to clear out the infield and track and create a field (no small task, I grant you). Supposedly there would be an option with some seats outside as well for those who wanted to brave it or on nice nights early or late in the season. But anybody who says "it cools down quite a bit at night" in either Vegas or Phoenix in the summer hasn't spent much time here. At summer's peak, it will still be 105+ after sundown, and you can take "dry heat" and smoke it. You can play in it, sure. But people aren't going to go watch it.
Are there any casinos with event centers big enough to put in a soccer field and seating for a D3 sized crowd? I'm surprised one of the casinos hasn't done that, or at least thought of it (I was there this time last year, and there is land to do it, but it's probably expensive as all get-out). It would be no big thing for somebody like Harrah's, Bellagio, or Planet Hollywood to shell out a little for a D3 team, provided there was a place to play. D2 either, for that matter.
I love how people always say that because someone has money, it would be no trouble at all for them to throw some away on a soccer team. Even if it's 180 degrees opposed to their core business. Also, from what I understand, the casino industry in Las Vegas hasn't exactly weathered the economic storm of recent years. But, hey, we like soccer, therefore everybody does, so if you've got money, you'd be more than happy to set it on fire by spending it on a D3 soccer team. QED.
I'm guessing that any of the teams in the western group is probably getting the full court press from the NASL to either join next year or commit for 2012. Either way to help them look better for USSF.
To USSF's credit, they saw through the attempt to just have a certain number of teams without those teams being viable when they attempted to get sanctioned last time. I'm not sure the USL's gambit works in that regard, either.
Well, what I was getting at, is I'm surprised some casino doesn't already have a conference center/hall that would work for a small (USL Pro/PDL/NPSL) team. I know the indoor team played at the Thomas & Mack Center (UNLV), which, from what I remember, was a little smallish for indoor soccer/hockey.
You'd still need a fairly good-sized footprint for that, you realize that, right? Indoor soccer (as I'm sure you know) is played on a 200 x 85 foot field (I think T&M was smaller than that, but not as small as Monterrey used to be). You'd need, conservatively, something 330 feet by 210 feet? You know many convention centers or halls that would (a) have that and ( b ) not book more lucrative events into it already?
Not ideal, but they could have microphones/speakers on both sides of the glass, so the fans could hear the players and vice versa.
I know there was some chatter on the MLS Expansion Vegas thread about another group going to announce something about a pro soccer club that wasn't MLS; perhaps USL Pro. Anyone heard anything new on that?
There was that vaporware team that said it had Beckenbauer on its board of directors and said it was going to be in the NASL. There's the apparently doomed MLS effort. There was supposed to be some other Vegas announcement recently (just a board rumor), but, no, never saw it.
The announcement was the restructuring of the MLS stadium deal in Las Vegas. With the reworked deal (which many in Las Vegas still oppose) there are enough votes to pass the city council. So it's expected to finally pass the first hurtle in the next vote that I believe is during the first week of Oct. if it passes that, then there is another committee I believe that has to pass it in December. If that passes, then they could be lined up and ready to jump into MLS. All that being said, I still don't think they are likely to beat out Minny, San Antonio or Sacramento. The Las Vegas group doesn't have anything to prove future success that those 3 teams have.
I'm super crazy late to this thread but just wanted to chime in. The announcement was going to be about a new USL Pro team (not the PDL Mobsters). The lack of closure regarding the MLS bid postponed it.
In case folks haven't been following the Vegas is Viable thread, the October 1 vote was 6-1 in favor but ONLY if Findlay/Cordish can work to eliminate public funding from their plan. Haven't heard much, if anything from Finday/Cordish since then. And at a City Council meeting last week there was an update where the City people said not much real progress has been made since the 10.1 vote. I really believe that MLS wants to give Las Vegas a team but they need to have their stuff together. The way this has played out makes me think it's not going to happen, at least not this round. Still hoping, though.
I don't know why MLS would gamble on Vegas when they have successful lower level teams like Sacramento, Minnesota, San Antonio and Indianapolis as much safer bets. Austin and St Louis could add to that number next year. Vegas should get in NASL or USL Pro and show they can draw crowds first.
Las Vegas is a glamorous, sexy, international destination that MLS has kept in mind as a potential team location for a while now. There are at least two groups that believe they can make it happen financially; that's the main reason why LV is getting a serious look right now. Having an established base in a lower league is great (i'd be all for a USL Pro team here if MLS didn't happen) but if you don't have people with deep pockets that can pay the expansion fee plus get a stadium built then it won't matter. That's why I think Sacramento has the best shot right now; with fantastic fan support and a great potential ownership group they have done everything right to make MLS a reality for them. Even if they take a spot that could've been for Vegas I have to tip my cap to them.