From the SocTakes article discussing Rishi Sehgal and the Armada sale. "The search for new teams is far from over and an 11th franchise, most likely in the Central Time Zone, is due to be announced in the coming weeks. The group presented to the Board of Governors at a recent meeting in New York City. “It is in the final stages,” said a well-placed source. An NASL spokesman did not respond for a statement by the time of publication."
New Orleans http://midfieldpress.com/2017/07/21/nasl-nisa-usl-expansion-news-rumors-tracker-july-2017-edition/
What I figured. Chicago won't be announced until they get the stadium figured out. Wilt has made that pretty clear
Yes the article has the most up to date info on Stadium from Wilt. 2019 earliest. NOLA may happen before Chicago, or at the same time
The Jesters owner is in construction so my guess is they build a modular stadium - just a hunch. Tulanes Yulman Stadium could serve as a short term home perhaps, maybe Spring season to be out in the new digs before college football starts
The NASL San Diego President Bob Watkins was interviewed by Fox Sports and presented some of their plans for the future which include more than just the NASL team. The want to establish an entire academy structure, feeder team, women's team, have a stadium site plan (which appears to be in Oceanside at the O-side Soccer Complex), and a general idea of what they want to build for a stadium. They'd plan to open the stadium sometime in fall 2018 if they stay on schedule, playing the spring of 2018 at USD's Torero Stadium. Stadium construction they estimate somewhere around 90 days for the modular structure. Pictures of both the site plan, and the modular stadium their designer Populous has built previously (AMI Stadium in Christchurch, NZ) in the similar size and style below... http://www.foxsports.com/san-diego/video/1022694467715?amp=true
He's definitely got more of a plan than several other recent NASL entrants in OC or SF. Question remains if they have the money and fortitude to stick it out. But it's a good sign if they're willing to outlay a bunch of money and an actual support structure in advance and have actually cut the timetable they'd spend in Torero Stadium from 2 years to half a year. They're not screwing around. Hopefully it carries over into their marketing as well seeing as they have North County SD to themselves, and far less competition market wide in a major market than most thanks to SD only having the Padres and Gulls competing for the sporting dollar.
Makes the SF Deltas look like a Sunday League Pub team.....they already play in the same Pub league park at Kezar.....
Now you know why I've been so hard on the Deltas and OC. NASL teams can do it right... but it takes an actual plan. Not just, "We have a soccer team! People will come watch us!" Which has been SF's whole marketing plan (plus aps!), and appears to be OC's plan. Dunno maybe it's a result of the SD guys not actually having wanted to be in NASL initially but having to settle for it.
Dimitry Pitterman actually had a similar attitude with his California Victory. I just don't know what these guys are thinking. Supposedly, the Burlingame Dragons owners seem to have a better plan. We'll see how it play out with them though...
The SF/Burlingame USL team does at least have some semblance of a plan with their own stadium planned. It's a start. Certainly more than the Deltas have done or OC seems poised to do. I'll give them credit for that. Obviously they and the SD NASL team still have hurdles to get over, but they've got a better base than some other teams we've seen crop of in California in the last 24 months.
While I think it’s great that so many teams are interested I actually find this concerning. We know for a fact that Detroit while interested still hasn’t secured a well financed partner. Good intentions are great, but not being prepared sounds like more Rayo OKC, Ft Lauderdale Brazilian owners or SF Deltas. We don’t need more of that.
Boston City and Virginia Beach? My God, spare me. They're so desperate they are trying to get NPSL clubs that have been around for an hour and a half to go Division II?
Was Boston one of the NISA locations that was mentioned? Wonder if it's similar to Detroit City and it's an "either/or" type of thing and NASL is just "hoping" it's them? I still think the best course of action for NASL is to drop to D3, work with NISA (possibly merge) and grow from there. Do something similar to USL in an effort to get to 30+ teams at the D3 level and then split into D2 and D3 or something.
I think Hartford was the NISA entry. They have also been around for all of one season and drew 866 a game this year. But just the general idea that these NPSL teams can suddenly become, not just pro teams, but Division II teams, is insane.