I am wanting to know what you think the structure of MLS will be like in 2006? How many teams will it have, where will they be? Will the SEM finally be ready to be ridden of to allow free enterprise in MLS? How many ss stadiums will be made or will be being built? 2006 is not that long from now and then again it is. Just curious of the BigSoccer familys' thoughts on this.
I bet their will be 12 teams in 2006. If you think their will be more than 2 new teams in just 3 years time your crazy.
Gotta agree with the above. Where the two new teams will be? Who knows? Obviously, SEM will still be with us.
2006 will see 14 teams, most likelly with some shuffles here and there with a couple existing teams... Seattle... will be in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami... will be in Rochester... will be in and a 4 th market..??????
I would GUESS 12 teams playing with Rochester and Oklahoma being the expanded teams. however I also think expansion to Seattle and either Philly, Houston, or Minny will have been announced. Single entity still in controll. but getting closer to going away
12 teams is even starting to sound optimistic. I'd be happy with Rochester and (pick one: Philly, Seattle, Minnesota), but I wouldn't be surprised if we're still stuck at 10. St. Louis's soccer community will continue to sit on the sidelines and do exactly zilch to bring an MLS team here. This is one prediction I'm very confident about. I hope single-entity is still in effect; otherwise we're in for several years of "NASL Follies," with teams dropping like flies, before the league finally collapses altogether. MLS has expanded once and contracted once in seven seasons, thanks to single-entity. How does this compare to "free enterprise" leagues like the NASL or A-League?
i can see this league at 12 maybe 14. the 13th and 14th would be expanded that year at earliest. i see 11th and 12th being Oklahoma City Rochester 13 and 14 could be Seattle Houston Philly Tulsa but interests change with time. by 2006, all these cities might seem inferior to another handful of cities.
Multiple Market Teams The idea of teams in Tulsa and Oklahoma City got me thinking. The Metrostars are currently labled "NY-NJ," the Revolution are rummored to represent several states, and the Rapids represent all of Colorado. Is there any likelihood that a team in Oklahoma could be based in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City? Those cities are only 100 miles apart. It also would allow MLS to market in two metropolitan areas without having them compete with each other. This might seem silly, but consider this: The new playoff format is going to boost attendance at weekend playoff games because there will be no "next game" to wait for. Similarly, with only 7 or 8 games at one city each season,--or 5 if there were three venues, which a Carolina team might use--local fans might be more likely to attend, and far flung fans wouldn't be disenfranchised by a team tied to a single city. This idea might seem to neglect the SSS issue, but let's be realistic: the Metros, Dallas, Chicago and KC should all be in line for a stadium before any expansion team, so the soccer only stadium concern will have to wait anyway. In the short term, shopping among multiple venues might improve MLS's bargaining position when renting existing facilities, allowing expansion teams to be more profitable until soccer stadia can be constructed, at which point the most lucrative market will have been found from experience rather than hypothetical market research.
Hattrix: It's hard enough for the league to get ONE stadium that's suitable for play; let alone TWO. The OKC/Tulsa idea is nice on paper, but is at the mercy of facilities, ownership, and the inane rivalries that exist between the 2 cities-- anybody remember the heated postings over the past summer??? Unfortunately, Tulsa would have trouble coming up with the large amounts of $$$ to finance a new SSS if they were told the team would split games between Tulsa and OKC and Funk from Express Sports wouldn't be likely to cough up that kind of $$$, either. Maybe Garber and/or the Hunts can step in and say it's either both cities or neither... but I highly doubt it. Although I did fantasize about it on another thread. Apart from a few Packers' games played in Milwaukee, the only dual-city point of reference I can think of was the NBA's Kansas City/Omaha Kings, a move I assume was a failure since the team relocated to Sacramento (not Sacramento/Oakland or Sac/Fresno)... I DO wonder, however, about the possibility of splitting games in the future as the league expands... a Rochester team playing a well promoted July 4 game in Buffalo; a Winston-Salem team playing a few games at Ericcson in Charlotte; an OKC/Edmond team playing a few games on the narrow plastic-grass Skelly Stadium in Tulsa?; a Columbus Crew game in Cleveland?!? The problems are logistics and facilities... grass fields??? good game atmosphere??? marketing???
correct me if im wrong, but didnt the metostars drop the "NY" title a couple of years ago and become just the NJ Metrostars?
Seattle should certainly get a team. Based on geographic footprint and turn out at big games (friendlies etc.).
You're both wrong...Metrostars dropped the NY/NJ moniker a few years ago but they didn't become NJ Metrostars, they just go by the name MetroStars nowadays.
I think in 2006 there will be 14 teams... Oklahoma City Rochester Seattle Houston being the added 4 teams...
A bunch of teams in the old ABA tried the "regional franchise" idea, and as far as I know, it failed every time. But an even better example are the experiences of a couple of recently relocated teams. The Carolina Hurricanes' attendance was in the pits when they were temporarily lodged in Greensboro before they moved to their permanent home in Raleigh. Same deal with the Tennessee Titans, who couldn't draw flies in Memphis because the home crowd knew that the team was eventually moving to Nashville. Basically, you can say that a team represents an entire state or region, but in reality, people support home town teams. All splitting the home games does is reduce the value of a season ticket, and season tickets are the backbone of an MLS team's economy.
everything depends on st. phil, mr. hunt, and any new investor that might be attracted soccer. (kraft doesn't seem to me to love the sport like the other two). in the current economic climate, i can't see expansion. but if the economy turns around, paul allen might see the light in seattle, and rochester might be able to support a team if their stadium deal goes through. i'd be glad we're still around and hopefully getting 17k to 18k per game. most of you guys are way too optimistic i think.
I dont believe that they wont expand, its just that they are going to have a much harder time finding investors.
Oklahome, No SSS, no I/O Rochester, maybe SSS, maybe I/O wants in Seattle, No SSS, no I/O Houston, No SSS, No I/O to add all 4 in the next couple years is financial suicide..there is only 1 team in MLS with SSS and I/O as of today, and the other is being build, and the first and arguably the best pith in USA allready exists. one of the logical RE-Expansion market will be Ft. Lauderdale/Miami Lockhart SSS with 20,000 seats, lost less $$$$ then most teams in MLS, I/O on the sideline, waiting for MLS to restructure. SEM does not mix well with the smaller investor, specially, when you are almost to the point of braking even in a given market.... And that is a fact JACK, the rest are just hopes and wishful thinking.. good thread.
This is a false statement. An SSS plan is in place with funding and plans already designed. It's funding is coming from three areas. While soccer will be the primary tennant and the stadium will be designed for soccer, it will be shared with other sports in the off season. An I/O is already in place with Bob Funk and Express Sports who are already very succesful with sports teams and events. They have the money. At this point the ball is in MLS's court and we're just waiting on confirmation/commitment from them and really anything in that direction.
Re: Re: expansion when ??????? the SSS will be build, and when the I/O will agree and MLS will sign up Ocklahoma, that is when the "statement" is false, but I wish you good luck.
Mike, where would this exhibition match be played? And between whom? Have you any other info on the stadium in OKC, as in what the renovation to that stadium would look like, capacity etc? I remember being in downtown OKC a few years back..i was driving from LA to Charlotte, and i purposely went into downtown to pay my respects at the memorial. From what I remember the downtaown area was very compact and not overly developed. Parking though, did seem to be a problem...Is this stadium site in this vicinity?
The stadium is actually a renovation of the football stadium on the University of Central Oklahoma campus. Its about 15-20 minutes north of downtown OKC, in the upper middle class suburb of Edmond. (I'm an alum of UCO and native of Edmond). UCO is on board with the idea. As Mike said, the ball is pretty much in MLS' court.
LOL keep living the good dream!? Miami/Ft Lauderdale?? LOL C'mon. I thought you were crazy until I saw that you were from the region which explained your lunacy!!!
Stevedm ! Segrove ! no need to rebuff to your ignorant remarks, and bashing of the S. Florida market. you guys are experts on this market. ignorance is a malady ps. Seagrove ! no one bashed Okc, you totally missed the point of the post. cheers ;-)