See! The earlier reports were completely wrong. They aren't going to announce Charlotte this Friday, they are going to announce it two Tuesdays from now?
holy crap, congrats guys . Hope you can get in in 2022 too, the more the merrier. All aboard for 31 and 32.........my money is on Vegas and Phoenix.
A plan to convert the Cashman Field area into a mixed-use development featuring a new Las Vegas MLS stadium is still in the planning phases, with a two-month extension now in effect. #sportsbiz https://t.co/xjAwsuwfEt pic.twitter.com/PcKI9nIf85— SoccerStadiumDigest (@thestadiumpitch) December 3, 2019
The owner sounds like someone who underestimates his fan base. “Only five percent of our audience on a Saturday night will know the playoffs are on the line, will know the difference between USL and MLS, will know that Eric Wynalda is a Hall of Famer,” Lashbrook said. “And 75-percent don’t know and don’t care. They know the beer is cold, and that we’re giving away a truck at halftime.”
wow that some precourt level ignorance........sad to see, I agree very much underestimating the knowledge of the fanbase.
On a few sites, there’s whispers Charlotte could actually join as soon as 2021...... with Austin. Interesting MLS hopes to have an agreement finalized by the end of the month, said Garber, adding that the best-case scenario is that Charlotte could begin play in 2021, joining Austin FC in their expansion season to keep the league at an even number of teams. MLS will be at 26 teams this season, with Nashville and Miami entering, while St. Louis and Sacramento are set to begin play in 2022.
So...I’ve been to about 15 Lights games in two years. Maybe if he said 20% instead of 5% he would be closer to correct in my estimation, but I don’t think he’s that far off, just based on all my conversations with other fans at games. They have no idea what they’re watching. It’s $20 a ticket, and it’s a party, the kids have fun, and there’s llamas and Bojo the MC and good beer. We on this board overestimate the fan base.
If this all comes to pass you gotta feel sorry for those Sac folk... what they waited years .... suffered a number of let downs... me thinks they will feel that Charlotte did not do their time of suffering in Limbo...
Sacramento’s issues were largely self-inflicted, so not sure what grounds they have for being upset with Charlotte...
I think that's fair to say regarding most USL teams' fanbases on BS. It's probably true for some of the MLS fanbases too. As a Chicago Fire fan, I'm pretty sure it's true for us, at least as far as the ownership is concerned...
"I suffered so you should too" is one of the most toxic ideas in any area of life. Anyone who thinks that should really do some self-reflection.
Brett Lashbrook used to work for MLS HQ. He helped bring Orlando City into MLS. In other words he likely knows way more about Sports Business then most everyone on this board. Being a Philly Union Season Ticket Holder for all of their seasons, I'd say he's pretty spot on. Outside of the minority hard core fan set, most fans are out for a good time with friends and family. The amount of fans that actually participate on message boards and sports talk radio is very miniscule. I've been in the supporters section for the past 7 years, and a lot of the fans in the section don't understand the game and are just there for the cheap seats, yell at the opposing team, blame the ref, yell profanity, and to get drunk.
I wouldn't move so fast and add clubs 31 and 32, just yet. With the reported expansion fee which Charlotte is paying between $300M to $350M, that will be a game changer and weed a lot of respective franchise owner out of the game. Especially when you talk about $400M+ franchise fees. We are now talking about franchise owners capable of putting up to $1B just to get started. I don't believe their are many of these whales out there.
I know Farber has dropped Phoenix and Las Vegas as the favorites behind Charlotte, but what are the odds that only one or niether of them gets a team? Assuming they go to 32 teams, I think it is possible we could see one team out east and one team out west in order to keep from moving another team between conferences. He allegedly told Malik that "Charlotte doesn't preclude Raleigh" and we know Indianapolis is still working on a potential bid. You also have Tampa, Louisville, Detroit, and maybe a couple other cities that could randomly put together a strong case. Out West there is still the two front runners plus San Diego and San Antonio who could randomly put things together as well. I am basing all of this on the idea of keeping St. Louis in the Western Conference and not changing the alignment.
The league will likely take some sort of a pause on expansion. If for nothing else, to get all of these teams online and playing, get the CBA negotiated, and a new TV deal in place. It'll also be interesting to see if any of the interested Billionaires decide to just buy an existing team from an owner who bought in when the buy in was cheap. If the rumors are true and Tepper will be paying between $300M-$350M just to get a spot in the league, new teams will need to be able to front $1B+ at the start. When you factor in stadium, training facility, academy, & the expansion fee......that's a big outlay of cash. Not to mention the yearly costs to run the stadium, academy and training facility (with the latter two being mostly cost centers). Right now, the prospective ownership group from Detroit has the cash, not sure they have the desired want to of the league though. If I was billionaire, I'd be looking at some of the original teams or early expansion teams. Most have the aforementioned infrastructure in place. I'd be blowing up Jay Sugarman's phone. The Union should be very attractive to a Billionaire group. Top 5 media market, passionate fanbase, decent stadium, training facility, robust academy, and a ton of waterfront land. Not to mention they have a reasonable buyout clause in their lease with Chester for the Stadium which would allow a new ownership group with money to move the team to Philly proper. Although that endeavor may in fact cost more then starting an expansion team from scratch.
I'd say the same for Houston, who has a better stadium location in a slightly smaller media market. The same could be said for Dallas, the location isn't ideal (similar to Philly) but the market is huge and they have everything in place.
Sorry, I could not read the rest of your post because I was laughing too hard. MLS will do no such thing. The are going to continue to add teams as soon as they find a city/owner willing to pony up the necessary cash and have at least a laughable stadium plan. Now, it make take a couple of months to find someone, but that is not a pause. That is just a search plus getting the project over the line. They have added 4 teams in the last year.
Which completes to latest phase of expansion. But put things into perspective. When the Carolina Panthers where added the franchise fee was $140M in 1995 which translate into $235M in today's dollars. With the raise in popularity of the NFL the Houston Texans expansion fee was $700M in 2002, a rise of 500% from 1995. Tapper is about to pay $300M to $350M for an MLS expansion team. I believe the MLS see 32 clubs as a cap on expansion for various reasons. Which means that clubs 31 and 32 are going to require an expansion fees of $600M+. Which will translate into a 5 to 6 year pause after the 30th club hits the field. I won't expect to see next expansion till perhaps 2028 or 2029.
Forbes had an article that states MLS could feasibly outfit 40-50 teams... 30. Charlotte 31. Las Vegas 32. Phoenix 33. Indianapolis 34. Detroit 35. San Diego 36. San Antonio 37. Oklahoma City 38. Albuquerque 39. Louisville 40. Birmingham 41. Tampa Bay 42. Raleigh 43. Cleveland 44. Pittsburgh 45. Hartford 46. Milwaukee 46. New Orleans 48. Baltimore 49. Jacksonville 50. Rochester Still an option (metro 1+ million or close to it): Virginia Beach, Omaha, Memphis, Des Moines, Syracuse, Buffalo, Fresno, Riverside, Greensboro, Providence, Richmond, Grand Rapids, Tucson, El Paso https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...up-2026-and-why-40-mls-teams-is-possible/amp/
I would expect 31 and 32 before the World Cup in 2026. I'd expect them announced in the next two years. I also think that the 2026 World Cup will be something of a coming of age party of the league. They'll want to show off what happened in the US between 1994 and 2026.
I just don't think there are enough billionaires willing to invest in the league with expansion fee reaching the $300M+ level. The price allow is going to slow down expansion dramatically.
The price tag to enter may be going up, but if the value of each franchise also continues to increase, the league will still be attractive to people with deep enough pockets. Billionaires like their sports playthings.
A would be Las Vegas owner is actively, and aggressively trying to secure a SSS for MLS entry. I'm pretty sure he has an idea of how much the expansion fee will be. As soon as he gets the stadium worked out, I'm sure he will expect acceptance. I don't think the possible price is making him think twice about it. As soon as Vegas gets the stadium and maybe more investors, their in. Expansion will not slow.
It looks like the ante for when the league expanses past 30 is going to $600M each for clubs 31 and 32. If that doesn't slow expansion nothing will.. https://www.thebluetestament.com/20...llion-fees-six-cities-drop-their-bids-detroit
Just because one guest on a show claimed it. People, this us just a variation on the "act now, supplies are limited!" sales pitch. Garber & the league claim they are going to stop (at least in the short term). They keep upping the price (better get in now while the price is lower!). All to create urgency & scarcity. 32 before 2026 WC for certain. 32 playing. More probably announced.