Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt has had most of his attention focused on Austin, Texas in recent months, but he has had conversations with Columbus city leaders and local investors, per the Columbus Business Journal.
Local investors first approached Alex Fischer, the CEO of the Columbus Partnership, following the November meeting in New York with city leaders, Precout and MLS.
According to Fischer, Precourt has agreed to preliminary discussions with the leadership in Columbus.
“Clearly things aren’t going well in Austin,” Fischer said. “I’ve tried to keep the emotion out of it … but we care about this team. We are constantly looking for any opportunity we’ve got to try to create the best possible situation.”
It’s worth noting Fischer has not had any talks with leadership at the league office about the Crew situation.
I hope this is true and Precourt sells to a local group.
I’m a Quakes STH and I know MANY fans that were going to give up on MLS if they destroyed an original club like this.
I think MLS (rightfully) is pulling back because #SaveTheCrew is not a movement only in Columbus, it’s national.
I’ve been with MLS since the inceptions and screw Columbus, its crappy stadium and no decent DP sice Schudletto or however you spell his name. Move teams to real cities or have owners and fans who put real money into the team. Incredible if you think this movement is national, nationally we prefer to have a team in Austin!
Nationally in Austin, you mean.
I don’t see anyone liking this move except some opportunistic fans in Austin and of course MLS owners.
Texas doesn’t need 3 teams FFS. Why don’t you steal away FC Dallas? They are a good org with low attendance.
Why the venom for Columbus? It’s Home to dos a cero, the first soccer specific stadium in MLS, a top USMNT TV market and historically one of the more competive clubs MLS. You would have to ask pre-court about the quality of DP players, but I wouldn’t expect The crew to make huge DP signings, rather put together smart acquisitions which may be sold and help with future scouting and player development. Seems to have worked fairly well. Their stadium and location is lame, but it is the first privately financed soccer stadium and soccer specific stadium in MLS. Precourts demands for a new stadium are legit but probably came a year or two early and should give time to work that out. If you have ever been to Columbus you know connecting the soccer stadium to the Short North, Arena district, close to German village would be ideal.
The funniest thing about this whole situation is how people somehow think Austin would be better than Columbus. The vast majority of the city doesn’t want a Stadium, much less one on park land. The city’s support of UT athletics is fair weather at best. The fans are late coming to DKR Stadium and don’t fill it up even though they only have 7-9 home games each season. They never come to filling up the Erwin Center, including the much hyped Kevin Durant POY season. The support of both Aztex teams (I was a STH for the 2nd) was lackluster at best.
I want MLS in Austin, but only after we’ve proven we can support a USL team and only with ownership that isn’t headed by what can only be described as a snake in Precourt. If MLS wants a third team in Texas with a late arriving 50-75% full stadium, by all means move to Austin.
@ SilverRey and Eric that is good news.
Finding a downtown site in Austin hasn’t happened so far.
So IS it really clear that things are not going well in Austin?
PSV declared today that they won’t be going after their prime spot any longer (Butler Shores). There has also been talk in the city council about not letting any park land be used which would cancel out PSV’s 2nd location as well. None of the other announced sites are within the ‘urban core’.
Nothing wrong with selling, but sports is different than selling other businesses in my opinion.
You were trusted with the fans passion and team. Don’t mess with a guy’s team.
I think to pull a Howard Schultz is unforgivable. Sell for $ that you don’t really need while ruining things for a whole city, just isn’t right.
The Don is Howard Shultz in this scenario.
Hopefully MLS & Precourt do actually reverse their stance and sell to local investors. Fischer has assembled a group that is truly interested in buying the team.
Local investors buying the team from Precourt is the best outcome imo. That should have been the first offer, before any threats to move announced. Unfortunately that’s how things go sometimes as you need to light a fire under people’s rear ends.