UPDATE: USL-1 in Tampa plans revealed!

[WhiteStar Warriors]

BREAKING NEWS:

I just received this email from Farrukh Quarishi, a former Rowdies player and Mutiny executive:

Erick:

It makes a lot of sense. There will be an announcement soon about a
new USL D1 team for Tampa. Plans are to build a stadium in Tpa.

We need more fans like you to succeed. Thanks for writing.

FQ
Sent from my iPhone

[alexp92]

cool:)

[VioletCrown]

BREAKING NEWS:

I just received this email from Farrukh Quarishi, a former Rowdies player and Mutiny executive:

Erick:

It makes a lot of sense. There will be an announcement soon about a
new USL D1 team for Tampa. Plans are to build a stadium in Tpa.

We need more fans like you to succeed. Thanks for writing.

FQ
Sent from my iPhone

Got it in, just under the wire.

Remember that today, everyone will be skeptical about any announcement;)

Looking forward to hearing something real!

[WhiteStar Warriors]

I think they are talking about this behind closed doors..they want everything to go smoothly and not rush anything..by 2009 their will be 11 teams in USL-1, they want to expand USL-1 to 16 by 2010, so that's 5 new teams, so Tampa and Oklahoma City by 2009 and Omaha, Phoenix and Memphis by 2010

[VioletCrown]

I think they are talking about this behind closed doors..they want everything to go smoothly and not rush anything..by 2009 their will be 11 teams in USL-1, they want to expand USL-1 to 16 by 2010, so that's 5 new teams, so Tampa and Oklahoma City by 2009 and Omaha, Phoenix and Memphis by 2010

My reading of info from a guy in Oklahoma City that's been keeping a close eye on this would have Oklahoma City and Phoenix reversed, I think. Phoenix has an ownership group, Oklahoma City has a stadium, and is looking for a group.

[WhiteStar Warriors]

My reading of info from a guy in Oklahoma City that's been keeping a close eye on this would have Oklahoma City and Phoenix reversed, I think. Phoenix has an ownership group, Oklahoma City has a stadium, and is looking for a group.

I think it's better if you have a stadium first, because the rest will fall in place, because a soccer stadium is waiting. It probably takes a year to build a SSS.

[VioletCrown]

I think it's better if you have a stadium first, because the rest will fall in place, because a soccer stadium is waiting. It probably takes a year to build a SSS.

Building an SSS is required for USL-1?

[WaikikiBallersSC]

I love the points in this post... make you case over in the Expansion league FORUM

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14292943#post14292943

[VioletCrown]

I love the points in this post... make you case over in the Expansion league FORUM

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14292943#post14292943

Um, why? WhiteStar is talking about USL-1 expansion.

Oh, you're spamming various threads to get people over to your post. Probably won't come back here. Nevermind, then.

[WhiteStar Warriors]

Building an SSS is required for USL-1?


i don't know, but playing at a high school soccer field doesn't have the capacity

[VioletCrown]

i don't know, but playing at a high school soccer field doesn't have the capacity

High school football fields do, though. At least, here in Texas they do. I thought Florida was as crazy about HS football as Texas is. And I'm sure Phoenix has a few sufficiently large HS stadiums that are available in the summer.

Point being that stadium ability isn't a limitation on USL-1. I'll grant you that HS/college stadiums aren't that good. But they're good enough under most situations.

In other words, there's almost no circumstances in which a stadium is a barrier to USL-1 expansion.

Which is why I say that Phoenix is a lot closer to having a team than OKC is. If there's ownership, all they need to do is find a stadium and work out a deal. Just like how it's being done here in Austin.

Yeah, there's one Galaxy fan bitching about driving up to a suburb to watch the team play (an LA fan complaining about driving? bizarro world!). But in general, the fans know reality, and will be fine with it.

[mccheese0]

Please God, let this be true. :)

[Rowdies4ever]

Building an SSS is required for USL-1?
No, but if you are angling for "promotion" to MLS, having a SSS or its equivalent in place is a good idea (ie, Seattle, Montreal, Vancouver, Portland, Rochester, etc.). Even if you never get an MLS club it's still good business sense to have a SSS or other venue that you can control.

[Rowdies4ever]

Please God, let this be true. :)Hear, hear.

Long suffering Tampa Bay Rowdies Fannies hope very much this is true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampa_Bay_Rowdies

Bring back the Rowdies. IIRC, Cornelia Corbett owns 3/4ths and Rodney Marsh owns 1/4th. I don't think it would be difficult to persuade them to sell the rights to a team that is almost worthless, financially, to them as a mere memory.

http://www.andelman.com/ARTICLES/tbrowdies.html

http://www.tampabayrowdies.com/

Can anyone say who the owner or ownership group is for this rumored USL team in Tampa? If they could get the Glazers in as part owners that would be a huge positive for eventually getting an MLS expansion slot (as Seattle MLS did with Paul Allen).

Oh please let this be true. Don't toy with us, you cruel footballing gods! :cool:

[SounderMan]

.......... is this an April fool joke? I think a USL franchise in Tampa would be a good thing, but I hope it's not just an attempt at humor. If Seattle models a successful "jump" to MLS, I think other communities may see the advantage of building from a grassroots level. It seems as if Montreal, Portland and Vancouver see the benefit already.

[SoccerPrime]

No offense Whitestar, but I've been in communication with Farrukh for about 3 years now and he has pretty much said the same thing to me over and over again.

Any word from USL yet if there will actually be a team in Tampa and when?

[WhiteStar Warriors]

No offense Whitestar, but I've been in communication with Farrukh for about 3 years now and he has pretty much said the same thing to me over and over again.

Any word from USL yet if there will actually be a team in Tampa and when?


Ok this is what I wrote to Farrukh:

I'm a avid sports enthusiast and primarily a
soccer fan who lives in St. Petersburg. I moved here in 1999 and have been
to Mutiny games, U.S. friendlies and Olympic Qualifiers. Recently their
has been a lot of talk of the Tampa Rays redeveloping downtown St.
Petersburg as well as Tropicana Field site. I attended the city council
forum and their were so me people who were for the stadium but primarily
resident's were against it. Now I have an idea that can be a win-win
situation for soccer even if the proposal fall thru as well as goes
forward, because if the proposal falls thru, the Rays stay at Tropicana
Field, but that leaves a vacant old stadium that could be renovated into a
multi-sport venue primarily used for soccer and in the offseason can be
used for outdoor concerts, art shows, graduations etc...a 20,000 seat
stadium will not hinder the waterfront and I think the citizens will
support the idea. Now if the proposal for the stadium goes forward it's
good too because Tropicana field is 83 acre lot which can be developed into
housing/entertainment complex and a soccer-specific stadium..Now the only
problem is probably needs to be a investor who can handle this project that
can change the face of Tampa Bay and bring soccer back to the area. I know
St. Petersburg/Tampa is ready for a USL-1 team.

And this is what he wrote back:


Erick:

It makes a lot of sense. There will be an announcement soon about a
new USL D1 team for Tampa. Plans are to build a stadium in Tpa.

We need more fans like you to succeed. Thanks for writing.

FQ
Sent from my iPhone

[WhiteStar Warriors]

No offense Whitestar, but I've been in communication with Farrukh for about 3 years now and he has pretty much said the same thing to me over and over again.

Any word from USL yet if there will actually be a team in Tampa and when?


Also I think the question is not if but WHEN?

Is USL or any potential owners, actively pursuing an expansion franchise in the near future, particularly in Division 1?

Tim Holt ( Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer:


A short list of markets from which we believe a USL-1 franchise could be successful with the proper ownership and venue include, but are not limited to (in no specific order): Omaha (NE), Tulsa (OK), San Antonio (TX), Tampa (FL), Phoenix (AZ), Boise (ID), Oklahoma City (OK), Albuquerque (NM), Memphis (TN), and Birmingham (AL) We are currently in advanced discussions with interested parties in several of these markets.

[VioletCrown]

No, but if you are angling for "promotion" to MLS, having a SSS or its equivalent in place is a good idea (ie, Seattle, Montreal, Vancouver, Portland, Rochester, etc.). Even if you never get an MLS club it's still good business sense to have a SSS or other venue that you can control.

I completely agree with all of that. It certainly would be better for teams that enter USL-1 to have a stadium first. The problem (as we have seen in MLS over and over again) is a chicken-and-egg thing. Cities won't build a stadium for a team without their being a team and a solid ownership, but solid ownership won't come forward without their being a guarantee of a stadium.

With very big money involved, or very hard work on some ownership groups, MLS has managed to crack this problem in a few select cities.

But if solid ownership is already in place, this makes the whole process a lot easier.

Which is why I think, if you're going to pursue the USL-1 route to gaining entry to MLS, it should be done the easiest route possible. There are high school football stadiums all over the country that are sufficient for USL-1. There's no need to wait to build a stadium. Get your house in order first, get a solid working franchise going. Prove that you can draw 8-10,000, and then start working on getting a stadium. Yeah, the whole process will take a few years. But in the mean time, whatever city you're talking about is setting up a good group of supporters. (It also has the side benefit of stabilizing USL-1;))

[VioletCrown]

Also I think the question is not if but WHEN?

Is USL or any potential owners, actively pursuing an expansion franchise in the near future, particularly in Division 1?

Tim Holt ( Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer:


A short list of markets from which we believe a USL-1 franchise could be successful with the proper ownership and venue include, but are not limited to (in no specific order): Omaha (NE), Tulsa (OK), San Antonio (TX), Tampa (FL), Phoenix (AZ), Boise (ID), Oklahoma City (OK), Albuquerque (NM), Memphis (TN), and Birmingham (AL) We are currently in advanced discussions with interested parties in several of these markets.

You shouldn't let the politician Holt confuse you with two separate sentences. He says "Here's a list of cities where USL-1 could be successful." Then he says "We're in advanced discussion with several of these." but doesn't list which ones.

Aside from your email exchange with Kuraishi, there hasn't been any rumor or reporting or leaks of any kind regarding a team in Tampa as far as I know. There is a reporter up in Oklahoma City that has unearthed solid information on Oklahoma City and Phoenix. I've been hearing suggestions of stuff in San Antonio, but it currently isn't as reliable as what you heard from Kuraishi.

Yes, it's hopeful. But I don't think Holt's comments are unequivocally supportive of your argument that "it's not if, but when" in Tampa.