Well, wherever Beckham wants - which seems like Miami. Then either Orlando or some other late-riser in the Southeast (maybe Blank's money is longer than the OCSC guys). Then I think it's all up in the air. Lots of possibilities. I think the point of announcing four is too make people scramble to try and outbid each other, honestly.
Miami, Orlando, San Antonio, and more hoping than actual reality, St. Louis. For an actual guess, OKC over Atlanta. Oil $$$ and a smaller market that could embrace the team (look at Portland in MLS and the Thunder in the NBA). Atlanta is HUGE and it would probably just swallow up an MLS team without embracing it. I say this having never set foot there .
Let's do some maths. 24 teams. 12 in each conference, divided by East-West, North-South, or teams with monochrome kits-teams with different color shorts. Play 2x your own conference = 22 games. Then play 6 other conference teams Home and 6 Away for another 12 games which equals 34 games. Hooray for school! It satisfies the FIFA "suggestion" that players don't play too many games per season. I had thought that there was another reason for FIFA stating they would like pro leagues to max out at 20 teams, but it was simply that they don't want tired players. Isn't that nice?
I think the FIFA 'suggestion'is based around the idea of 18-20 teams per division, playing a balanced schedule, which makes sense. MLS cant obviopusly play a balanced schedule, nor does MLS have pro-rel where new teams could enter at a lower division, theoretically eliminating a cap on the number of teams that could be involved in a league system as long as no division is bigger than 18-20, in which case theoretically anyone who wants to found a club could join and try to get promoted into MLS. Therefore since we dont have pro-rel in the US, in order for new clubs to join MLS, MLS has to expand. I sincerely doubt FIFA would not accept a 24 team MLS with an unbalanced schedule, given the 'uniqueness' of the US system, why would they really, in the end? Do they care that much about how we determine our national league champions? What to do about the SS though... I still say there should be two SS's, one for each conference, counting results based on an inter-conference balanced schedule.
Nope. Don't think so. There is no hard cap. There never has been. Most leagues seem to have found that 18-20 works for them. So all the folks who thought 20 was the magic number, well, sorry. If you thought 22, nope, too low. 24 by 2020, by which time Garber will have been in office for 21 years (if he stays to see it all through). I would imagine they'll poach at least a couple of NASL markets, if not the actual teams. But we'll see, I guess.
21. Orlando or Miami (I imagine Miami, as Becks might get involved) 22. San Antonio (if stadium expansion goes as planned and attendance keeps up) 23. Atlanta (because I'm drunk and felt like saying it) 24. San Diego (wishful thinking) or the loser of 21 above of course, like the rest of you, i'm saying these without much thought or stats to back me up or anything. who's next?!
I was afraid of this, but what else were we going to get with an ex- NFL guy. Now we are going to get weird conferences, divisions, crazy unbalanced schedules and god knows what for playoffs. The league is being seduced by expansion feels and I am getting this old NASL feeling of over-expansion. I really don't like this. - If its going to get this bad and not have pro-rel with the second and third divisions, then we might as well go all the way to 32 teams, taking the best markets not used, or from NASL or USL, put 16 in the West and 16 in the East. Regular season 30 games in conference to build rivals and hold travel down. The playoffs are top 4 in each conf. 3 rounds home/away including the final. -Teams from the 2 conf. could also met up in the USOC,exhibitions, pre season or even the CCL like Montreal and SJ will this year.
The Rams are locked into the Edward Jones Dome through 2014. At that point, if they stay in St. Louis, they will need to build a new stadium. If that happens, I'm sure Kroenke would want an MLS team to fill some dates. I think that is St. Louis' only real chance at a team.
21. Orlando or Miami. 22. Miami or Orlando. (Wouldn't it be great for both to join the same year? Instant rivalry to get things going) 23, 24.. Anyone's game. Will really depend on who gets their stuff together in the next couple of years. Most likely candidates would be Atlanta, San Antonio, dark horses being OKC, Sacramento, San Diego, Minneapolis, NC, St Louis. Lost in this is the fact that CUSA could rebrand/move, making a fifth city happy..
alright, lets look at the current options: Orlando: the most likely target to get one first if only because they seem to good to pass up. Despite a political set back the city seems all for the development of a soccer specific stadium somewhere near downtown. the current team already has a great following which I believe is the highest attended non division 1 team out there right now, so theres certainly a fantastic base to build off of. the market only has one big 4 team, the magic, and is thus a tested yet non busy sports market that is situated in a centralized location in florida and resides in the leagues most vacant of regions: the southeast. I'd be shocked if they don't join MLS, they seem to be the perfect match for what the league is looking for. well except they aren't a big market, like... Miami: the second most likely target. why? Beckham, thats why. The city looks to be his most likely target to use his ownership discount on if only off of loose rumors. Its a city that has a team representing them in each of the big four, so its filled as any. Its also the largest metropolitan area without a MLS team, and can be considered an asset because of its south beach draw. that said there are few problems with the market: 1.despite a diverse sect that are interested in the game,theres questionable interest in domestic club soccer. 2. That idea is confounded by the notion of miami being a fair weather sports town in general. 3. trying to build a SSS will require entirely private money as Miami has been burned bad by the last guy to ask. like NYCFC before it, a miami franchise would be a good addition because of its market credentials even in the face of a stadium issue. (though FIU stadium will suffice nicely in terms of atmosphere for the short term, much better than Yankee Stadium will certainly) Still its a good possibility, Garber loves his geographic rivalries, if Orlando gets in don't be surprised if Becks and Miami are in tow. San Antonio: how about three teams in texas? its another good possibility, the stadium, team, fans and ownership are already there and ready to go. this is exactly like Orlando, except they have a soccer specific stadium already and its built to expand to MLS level. good market good fans, not much more to ask for but how they intend to pay the expansion fee (or what this does to NASL which I'll get too.) the infrastructure is there, and along with it a great chance this gets done by decades end. 1.Atlanta: Arthur Blank wants to bring a Major League soccer team so he can make more revenue off of his new stadium during the spring and summer. ... Well its true. Like Miami this is another big market that MLS is missing out on, and like both Miami and Orlando, its in the forsaken land of the southeast.The stadium situation is questionable, while its in a good location and revenue will not be a problem, its too freaking big and the atmosphere will be crap (so another New England situation basically) This could be helped if theres a divider roof in the same vein as Vancouver at BC place but that is questionable. whats also questionable is how receptive fans will be to a new team. atlanta isn't that great to its non football teams, and a team based in the city might become another Thrashers scenario where only a select few care. Its possible, and financially feasible, it just doesn't seem like a sure success. It seems more like Revolution 2.0 in the making. Sacramento: Another basketball only sports market? I'm beginning to notice a trend... so the big plan is for a stadium in the burbs of a town called elk grove, a bit out of the way but they are opening their arms for whats its worth. they need to do well drawing fans to the awesomely named Sacramento Republic FC before they can even loosely be considered. I wish them well in their journey... if only because a name that cool deserves to be top tier. Detroit: oh yeah, wasn't there something about plans to renovate the silver dome? seems pretty far away, not even a train ride away scenario like RBNY. that could be an issue, especially for a team lacking any big soccer presence or history except a NPSL side thats got a little steam. the owners have to pony up quite a bit for quite a risk, and the state isn't likely to add much to that. not to mention the cost to enter the league itself... yeah, not likely gonna happen. theres almost nothing to see here. Carolina: The triangle specifically. not much of a movement, but theres a stadium that I believe is expandable and an alright market to do it in. I only put it here to be consistent, sacramento's here so why not a team with fans already attending games. I put these in order of what i think is most likely to get an expansion team and when. the florida situation seems like the best bet right now, as i said rivalries mean a lot these days. also quick note, not sure what franchises in any of these places does to lower division soccer, especially in Atlanta (silverbacks) and Miami (strikers) or what those clubs in turn might do to MLS. but thats all bridges to cross when they come.
Everything is dependent on an owner/stadium setup, but from MLS' perspective they want top media markets. Most sports leagues revenue comes from TV and MLS is no different. If they want to earn more during the renegotiation for the 2015 season then Atlanta (8) and Detroit (11) need serious looks. No doubt Orlando could put on a good show, there are just fewer eyes to sell to there.
There was, but there is also this new plan for what it's worth: http://www.mlive.com/business/detroit/index.ssf/2013/07/1_billion_mixed-use_developmen.html
Market saturation with other pro teams is a huge factor in the smaller Large markets, esp. direct competition with MLB.
21. Orlando (the real deal) -Deep Pockets, check -Proven fanbase, check -hungry market, check -stadium, eh -academy, check 22. Miami (Beckham, nuff said) -Deep Pockets, check -Proven fanbase, check -hungry SE market, check -stadium, eh -academy, eh 23. San Antonio (Texas hat-trick) -Deep Pockets, eh -Proven fanbase, check -hungry market, check -stadium, eh -academy, eh 24. Ottawa (wildcard, think Canadian Cascadia) -Deep Pockets, eh -Proven fanbase, check -hungry market, check -stadium, check -academy, check
Top Candidates: Orlando: All they need is the approval for the Stadium. They're pretty much at the 1 yard line, now it's down to local & state politics............ Miami: Need stadium plan. Becks & Claure would be a powerful duo to ignore. Plenty of Money, and likely wouldn't need any financial help to fund a stadium. Atlanta: Arthur Blank is a proven business owner and sports team owner, my thought is that if he wants to bring an MLS team to Atlanta, he'll be welcomed with open arms. Plus he already has at least two allies in MLS in Kraft and Garber. Minneapolis: TV market, international city, well supported NASL team, all they need is an ownership group that has the means, desire, and commitment to be in MLS. San Antonio: Good support & already have a SSS. Only holdup is the seriousness and desire of the Scorpions Ownership group to be in MLS. Detroit: Interesting idea. The fan support is there. Is there a viable ownership group there willing to bring an MLS team to the Motor City though? That's a huge question that remains to be answered. St. Louis: Natural fit. Missing a viable ownership group, and a stadium. Sacramento: Two ownership groups with MLS aspirations. City is in support of bringing an MLS team to the area. Need to get the two groups to work together. Ottawa: Canada's Capital. Will be competing in the NASL soon. Building a SSS. Definitely a sleeper if they want to move up. Carolina (Cary/Raleigh): Fanbase is there already. There is a SSS, and I believe that it is designed to be expanded to 18K'ish capacity. Any others?
Like most people I think it's going to be 1) Miami 2) Orlando 3)Atlanta 4)St. Louis. I do wonder what it does for the NASL team in Atlanta. I don't know if Blank has anything to do with this team and he if is going to pony up for MLS, I would think that he'd start his own instead of buying someone else team.
Something I thought might be fun is to do a 32 city expansion bracket, college basketball style. So right now I am gathering 32 different cities who might/are fighting to get into MLS. I will obviously take cities from this thread. Post more and where you think they rank. Just a fun little exercise.