D.C. United considering addition of MLS Next Pro team in Baltimore area, sources confirm - The Athletic D.C. United is exploring the possibility of starting an MLS Next Pro team in the greater Baltimore area, multiple sources confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday afternoon. The club has partnered with the Maryland Department of Commerce to examine the possibility of building a stadium in Baltimore or its suburbs. On Tuesday, the Maryland Stadium Authority board approved the department’s request to partner with D.C. United on the study. The two sides, a source said, will split the cost of the study, an estimated $50,000. The study will be performed by Crossroads Consulting, the Stadium Authority’s contracted economic advisor. That firm will perform research and analysis on five potential sites, which have yet to be determined. The Baltimore Business Journal was first to report the news on Thursday. D.C. United already has a lower-division affiliate, Loudoun United, who play in Leesburg, VA, in the second-division USL Championship. MLS Next Pro, the third-division league started by Major League Soccer earlier this year, plays host to 21 teams, 20 of which are feeder clubs for MLS sides. The league has plans to expand further next year.
really need to take advantage of strong youth soccer programs in the Baltimore area - this is a smart soccer business move
I support a team in the Baltimore area. An association with DC United would go along way in keeping a team in Baltimore unlike the teams that came and went like Crystal Palace and the Baltimore Bohs.