They talked about stadium expansion plans in the post press conference interviews, not in the actual presser.
I guess the USL Pro will continue to expand for 2014. http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20131109/ARTICLES/131109650/1005?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar
Here's something a little more substantial. I said 'a little more'. It will be interesting if this pans out. Mostly makes me wonder how Phoenix, who seemed to end far worse than VSI, is managing to keep going.
The USL kicked out the Phoenix ownership group. The USL must think highly enough of the Phoenix market because they are shopping around for a new owner. My speculation is that an MLS club is going to take it over in lieu of their reserve team (SLC maybe??)
VSI Tampa folded. That market is pretty entrenched for Rowdies. Definitely more of an uphill battle than Phoenix
What a shame they already folded, I am still waiting for their 28 K SSS VSI Tampa announce $400M Soccer Stadium Plan - The Scoring Third www.scoringthird.com/.../vsi-tampa-announce-400... 28/11/2012 - VSI Tampa Bay FC will formally announce plans for a 28,000 seat ... ifMLS ever puts a team back in Tampa it is dumber than a sack of ...
So with VSI folding, Antigua folding, LA probably folding, Orlando moving up, and Phoenix in a form of limbo which it may or may not come out of... the league will more or less be right back where it started with the coming expansion teams. The deck chairs continue to be shuffled around the deck of minor league soccer.
'Twas ever thus. There is a core group of teams that are solid and entrenched in their communities and aren't likely to be going anywhere (though it's not a guarantee). Then there is the flimsy outer layer that keeps getting patched with new owners who come and go. That's really been the case at the lower levels (and indoor, especially) for years. We'll know more when we see what MLS teams do with the concept by 2015. I'm still not sold of the idea of (basically) two leagues within a league, with a bunch of teams whose main objective is to win and a bunch more whose objective is to develop players and if they win, too, fine.
This is exactly what MiLB was for several decades until all the independent teams eventually signed with MLB teams about 10-15 years ago. But for a very long time there was a mix of independent, affiliated and MLB team owned MiLB teams playing in the various lower level leagues. But if MLB is any guide, assuming MLS wants to eventually have full control of USL (which might help end the deck chair shuffling) then eventually all USL teams will be partnered up with or owned by an MLS side just as what happened with MiLB.
And MiLB is just as competetive as the majors. A lot of player development in the minors consists of playing time in an actual competetive environment.
Anything is possible but I highly doubt RSL takes over Phoenix. I think they stick to affiliations for now.
St Louis... Had a USL/NASL team but ownership was a disaster.. Nice sized market with possibilites but no legitimate ownership groups stepping forward at this time. Austin... Tech money... Nice location with plenty of folks... I have to ask myself if Austin is a hotbed for soccer why did Rawlings move from there to Orlando and within 3 years have an MLS franchise? Maybe it's not a hotbed or maybe fans are invested elsewhere? I know the Aztexs are doing well in PDL but is there a push to move up? El Paso... I have a house right across the boarder from El Paso in New Mexico. Desert town like Phoenix but with none of the glamour, glitz, population or money.... Still it's hungry for professional something and I think the folks in the area would support it... The Sun Bowl is turf... Oh did I mention it's in the desert? Louisville... Has possibilities. But if you go down that road you might as well consider Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans
I was considering the region Lousiville was in... If you want to add more to your list that's your choice. With that said I lived in Tacoma from 2004 until 2009... Lot's of recreational leagues for outdoor/indoor all year long. Of course that should be evident by the MLS presence in the Great NW that it's a hotbed... I think Tacoma comes down to what the Sounders or Portland decide to do with the USL "requirement" by 2015. Detroit... They have a nice little NPSL team called Detroit City (awesome kit.. I have a top). Need a real investment group and location. Silverdome ain't gonna happen. I think they want to make it a prison. San Deigo... Has NASL written all over it? Or a relocation by a certain LA based MLS team is a possibility... Maybe. All IMO of course.
Louisville is next. Look no further then this bs "supporters" group they created a few weeks ago called The Coopers. It's a shame supporters group created by the Orlando City management so they can move their D3 team there in 2015. Check their twitter account last night and ask how the hell a new local supporters group from Louisville was in Orlando last night for the OCSC MLS announcement.
One of the minority owners of Orlando City is from Louisville, is building the new Unv of L soccer stadium and leading efforts to get a USL Pro team there. So it's not really hard to believe at all that some Louisvillians would be in Orlando for the announcement.
Wait, what? When did independent teams "sign with MLB teams?" You mean the very small handful of teams playing in the actual organized leagues like the Florida State League, the California League, the Midwest League, and so forth? Even 30 years ago, there were very, very few unaffiliated/independent teams in what we consider the actual minors (MiLB). The Miami Miracle (which became the Fort Myers Miracle in 1992) was one for a while, but they were far and away the exception rather than the rule. Minor league teams have been subject to the National Agreement and their relationship with the majors has been settled and codified for decades. The Utica Blue Sox were independent briefly, and there have been some co-op teams, but very, very few over time. There are still independent teams, right? The Atlantic League, the American Association, whatever there are now...those are unaffiliated leagues. They're independent. They haven't signed with anyone (though they do sell players to major league organizations). I cannot for the life of me name any independent teams playing in the International, Pacific Coast, Eastern, Southern, Texas, California, Carolina, Florida State, Midwest, South Atlantic, New York-Penn, Northwest, Appalachian or Pioneer Leagues any time in the last 20 years. Minor league baseball has long been a revolving door of affiliations as front office people move, make different decisions, piss people off, shift their development strategy, or find themselves in the game of musical chairs that puts their AAA affiliate a thousand miles away. The teams that have PDCs with their affiliates have that issue, and things do change in that regard. And some lower-level teams (and even AAA teams, like Tucson going to El Paso now) will change locations. But, no, the scenario we're describing is actually not 'exactly what MiLB was for several decades.' At least not any decades since any of us have been alive.
Speaking of what Orlando will do after 2014, Rawlins had this to say: No matter what happens next season, the affiliation will certainly go by the wayside in 2015 when Orlando City enter MLS. Their USL PRO side is likely to stick around, however, as the club takes lessons learned from its partnership with Sporting and creates it’s own third-division subsidiary. “As it relates to USL PRO, great league and it just getting better and better and stronger and stronger each year. We’re delighted were playing in it again in 2014,” Rawlins said. “They’ve been great friends to us. We’ll certainly look to move our franchise somewhere where we can have a relationship just as we’ve done with Sporting KC. Too early to say where that is right now, but we’ll certainly look to do that.” http://m.mlssoccer.com/news/article...al-director-who-understands-league-aid-mls-ro