On the eve of Major League Soccer’s expansion application deadline, Indy Eleven has made it 12. The NASL club’s president, Jeff Belskus, confirmed to SI.com late Monday that the Eleven, owner Ersal Ozdemir and the city of Indianapolis are pursuing one of the four MLS expansion openings. Ozdemir will deliver the application by hand to the league office in Manhattan on Tuesday. Indianapolis is the 12th city to declare its MLS intentions. http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/01/30/indianapolis-mls-expansion-application-indy-eleven-nasl
Ozdemir doesn’t yet have city or state backing for a new stadium—but he acknowledges he will need it to bring an MLS franchise to Indianapolis. He has identified a parcel east of Lucas Oil Stadium, but he declined to say whether he has a purchase agreement in place or to describe the status of any negotiations. http://www.ibj.com/articles/62334-indy-elevens-owner-investment-group-say-theres-urgency-to-mls-bid
I personally think the biggest hurdle will be to get more (better) investors on board. The current group has money, but not the kind of money that some of the other candidates have.
The stadium would be owned by the city and leased back by the club, which also intends to contribute some $10 million toward construction, which Belskus estimates would cost around $120 million. Ozdemir and his partners will foot the entire MLS expansion fee. http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/mls...ianapolis-mls-expansion-city-indy-eleven-nasl
Hopefully Indy will end up with a team along with St. Louis, and Detroit. If that happens the MLS will have the mid-west covered with teams including: Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus (maybe), Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minnesota, Nashville, & St. Louis. This could make for some great rivalries for most fans that are for the most part in driving distance of these games.
looks like the Indy Eleven might be getting a stadium after all. This could help their push for expansion bid into the MLS https://www.fox59.com/2019/01/10/550-million-project-proposed-by-indy-eleven-includes-soccer-stadium
SENATE BILL 7 PASSES INDIANA SENATE, HEADS TO GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR FINAL APPROVAL https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1015190
Just another article https://www.ibj.com/articles/73440-lawmakers-send-funding-bill-for-pacers-soccer-st
Do you really think its going to stop at 30. I do not see MLS turning down anyone who has a stadium and wants to write a check for >$200M