Is this a potential location for an upcoming MLS team? The two cities have a combined population of around half a million, it's far enough away from New York and Boston to be considered its own catchment area, you can get from one city to the other in about an hour also. Upstate United incoming? What am I missing?
It would be 4 teams very very close. Not impossible, but when MLS has coverage gaps in this country, it is highly unlikely.
Replying further - MLS is a group of whores. If someone was willing to give enough money, they would put a 3rd team in NYC.
Looking at the geography only, these appear to be the obvious soccer "dry spots" in the mainland US: Area 1 Looks to me like New Orleans, Mobile and Jackson are the only big urban centres far enough away from the likes of Houston, Dallas, Nashville and Atlanta to command it's own team. Not overly convinced. Area 2 Probably the most viable, there's a big stretch of border between LA and Austin, with the likes of Phoenix, Tucson and Albuquerque being prime candidates. Area 3 Boise and Billings aren't the biggest of cities, and they're quite far away from each other, so you couldn't really consider putting a team between them to pull in both catchment areas. This is a non-starter imo.
About 20 years ago, Rochester was very very close, but soccer there within the past 5 years died a slow death and there is no chance that MLS will try again. Buffalo is too close to Toronto and that also is a non-starter.
???? Close how? Close as in MLS took notice and actually did some due diligence and discovered that the Rhinos were a house of cards built on monopoly money?
Down the Byline: #TBT The Rochester Wizards after the 2004 season, Lamar Hunt put the Kansas City Wizards up for sale. Throughout the coming 2005 season, rumors surfaced about potential locations the Wizards were set to be moved to. From Tulsa, to San Antonio, to New York, to yes, Rochester. Rochester was arguably the favorite to land the Wizards after Rochester had failed in their bid to get an expansion team in 2005 when MLS added Chivas USA and Real Sale Lake. Rochester was drawing pretty much the same if not more than KC was at Arrowhead. According to one of the team's original owners Steve Donner, the deal to move the Wizards to Rochester was pretty much a done deal, "we had an agreement pretty much done in principle with Kansas City to move the Wizards here." One of the things that apparently held up the deal was that while the Hunts were going to pay the annual league expenses, in exchange they wanted equity in the Rochester stadium.
I think New Orleans would make for a great USL Championship market… maybe down, they could contend for MLS, especially since it has the sort of culture that would stand out in the league. You could still count Birmingham, Alabama too, but again, probably more of a USL Championship team (Legion). Phoenix (and Las Vegas) should be strong contenders for MLS. Albuquerque and El Paso are USL Championship markets. Boise and a Montana team (Billings, Bozeman, Missoula) probably should try to get into USL League One and maybe try to advance up the ranks. Omaha is probably good where they’re at. I’d add that Oklahoma City would be a good market. At least for USL Championship. But MLS probably needs to look at expanding in the Midwest (Indianapolis, Detroit, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Rochester, Buffalo, etc). San Antonio and Sacramento should still be in play. Baltimore could be a sneaky addition.
and why not? cities that size around the whole have more than two teams. Chicago needs another team too.
Because the appetite for hockey in that area is different from that for soccer. I'm not arguing either way about MLS to Buffalo, but it is clear why hockey has been able to pull it off.
I get your point, but "Chicago Fire" is still a great name. But I don't know how they don't have a cow as a mascot - yes, I understand she has been exonerated "allegedly".
The appetite for hockey in St. Louis is different than that for soccer but the NHL has thrived there for nearly 60 years. A good sports town with civic pride will support a pro team.