WPS in Seattle?

Discussion in 'NWSL Expansion' started by GOALSeattle, Dec 13, 2009.

  1. bythesea

    bythesea Member

    May 27, 2005
    But then, if we're thinking of the Sounders organization fielding a WPS team, don't we have to ask what the incentive is for them to divert millions into a league where the average attendance is currently 3-4,000?
     
  2. wokeupfuzzy

    wokeupfuzzy Member

    Apr 24, 2010
    Nobody was saying they should do this. All of the other WPS teams are operated separately and I think it's much better this way. No need to become a sideshow to the Sounders. I hope they stick with this model, and I think Seattle is a great place to expand.
     
  3. REALfootballRulez

    May 25, 2007
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Who said it would take millions? Is there a set expansion fee?
     
  4. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    No expansion fee that we know of, (though I vaguely remember the number $750k being thrown around early 2009,) but remember that all the WPS teams lost $1-3million over the 2009 season.
     
  5. REALfootballRulez

    May 25, 2007
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There shouldn't be because WPS is trying to grow and you don't want to scare investors off by charging some huge fee.

    They should get them in at the bare minimum and help the set up and establish the team as much as they can to market the product to as many receptive markets as possible without going overboard.

    Some of the markets in the league now may not work out long term so it's good to have others step up.
     
  6. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    As far as I know they have the 150K bond that would be used in case the owner runs out of money to keep the team going, to not repeat a St. Louis.
     
  7. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    i think the first yr was thrown off because teams added the 1.2M franchise fee into their operating loses.

    fitz is probably the big spender in 2010 with his fran fee, stadium and signing STL players. obviously he has pulled back this yr.

    boy...i come up with about 1.2-1.5M yrly run a club at the bare minimum. players, coaches, small front office, travel, complex + stadium rentals, marketing and advertisings, etc.

    i think GP also said travel cost wasnt a big thing. isnt it something like 25K for 3 trips with a traveling team?

    commish said MLS teams were interested and this is the time to neg with team. they still have to work with the WPS fran model vs the MLS group model but they were getting there.

    1 Seattle MLS bring in the lady Sounders
    2. Vancouver
    3. Colorado - Rapids have expressed interest
    4. Orange Cty Group?
    5. Chicago - What's with them for 2012?
    6. Arizona - Heard talk about them. Keep the games at night for sure.
    7. Dallas - Stadium?
    8. Houston -Strong Latin population like Miami

    I'd think going into the 4th yr they could bring in 3-4 for West. I think the surviving teams have a better lock on their books and expenses so new teams have a shorter learning curve.
     
  8. toad455

    toad455 Member+

    Nov 28, 2005
    I'd like four addition teams for the 2012, and at least 3 of them should be west coast teams.

    1. Los Angeles/Southern California
    2. Seattle
    3. Denver, Dallas or Houston
    4. Chicago or Toronto
     
  9. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hmm .... Two of those are West Coast. It looks like you're not from the West Coast, however, if you think of Denver, Dallas, or Houston as being West Coast.

    Just sort of kidding (but not completely), I'm originally from Philadelphia and used to think of Pittsburgh as the West. Now I live in Portland and think that maybe Salt Lake City qualifies as the West.
     
  10. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    if you look at the "so called" west, you dont see many options. yes...dallas is more towards FL and east. I'd say explore NC again if they want a team in the WPS along with chicago coming back. Then there is Toronto. What if Washington wants back in after Freedom is moved? You could have have 10 teams east of Kansas

    West/Mid-West only has a couple of spots. Replace the Sol with the Orange Cty group. I'm not sure California will support more than 2 teams. San Diego or Clara? Arizona, Colorado, Seattle, Oregon, Vancouver? Maybe they get a Mexican club to add their women's team. I think I read Utah somewhere. From this group they need 3 for 2012, 4 would be better.

    How would Santos be worked in the league if they want in?
     
  11. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Hmm.... not to be a stick-in-the-mud - I like the current discussion - but we do have two other threads for general expansion talk; might we respect the Seattleites here, move the conversation and keep this thread on topic? ^.^'''
     
  12. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sorry about that!

    I'm thinking that the question may not be Seattle, but rather a western division in order to have natural rivalries. So, thinking about Seattle in isolation might not be the most productive way to get a WPS team there. The better approach might be to think of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Bay Area, and Los Angeles/San Diego, possibly with Salt Lake City also (there's a pretty big women's soccer presence there). If Seattle is the most organized, they could be first in line, but several at once might be even better since otherwise Seattle would be out here in isolation from the East Coast focus of the current WPS teams.
     
  13. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    UW Huskies women are 23rd in NCAA attendance at 1,000 per match.
    Sounders Women of the W-League average 600 per match.
    The Seattle Pacific Women average over 400.
    The Seattle University Women average over 200.
    A new WPSL Seattle club is scheduled to debut in 2011, giving the area two semi-pro clubs.
     
  14. lovingthegreen

    May 29, 2006
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    By WPS standards, I could easily see a Seattle franchise draw significant attendance numbers. Starfire would be a perfect venue for them. Of course, you need an ownership group (and other West Coast - or even Northwest - clubs in order to help with travel costs), but in terms of having a base of soccer fans - and women's soccer fans - the Seattle metropolitan area easily has it.
     
  15. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008
    And Seattle may win a title this year in NWSL.
    The dominoes have fallen in the right order.
     
  16. The Stever

    The Stever Member

    Dec 4, 2003
    And so, too, have the dominos!
     
  17. WPS_Movement

    WPS_Movement Member+

    Apr 9, 2008

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