By SBI SOCCER
Sacramento Republic might not currently be in line to join MLS, but that is not stopping the club from continuing to think about the benefits it could bring to the city by landing an expansion franchise.
A group of financial advisors released a new economic impact study on Monday that projected how much an MLS stadium would help downtown Sacramento. The report stated, among several things, that a soccer-specific stadium would make for the creation of 1,755 jobs during construction, bring in $30.5 million of annual economic activity to the city and would allow entertainment for 500,000 annual visitors.
The report is the latest step in the city’s “Operation Turnkey” initiative, which was launched by mayor Kevin Johnson and other officials to help land an MLS franchise. Sacramento Republic currently plays in USL.
MLS plans to expand to 24 teams by the end of the decade, but the final two slots are expected to be filled by Minnesota and Miami. Difficulties in those cities have, however, reportedly made MLS consider bringing in Sacramento ahead of one of them.
What do you think of this development? Still hoping MLS changes its mind and brings in Sacramento before Miami or Minnesota? See it happening or will Sacramento have to wait?
Share your thoughts below.
MLS is following the NFL blueprint . MLS will end up with 32 teams in most major TV markets. Forget pro/rel in the US it won’t happen MLS wants a closed system where all teams can increase in market value just as the NFL has done.
How much money would NFL be making if there were 75 teams with Pro-rel? Imagine 40 more NFL teams in the major college markets (all the Alabama, Auburn UT, Columbus, Ann-Arbor etc). It would be huge. There isn’t a college football system (which is really professional) for soccer in the US, anyway.
I see what you’re trying to say, but with the NFL that would dilute the market.
I don’t think that would dilute the market at all. Imagine if those top 40 college teams were suddenly spun off to professional clubs. That would not dilute, but simply add. Adding the Florida State, Auburn, Alabama Ohio State etc fans to the NFL market. I went to school in ACC country. There are people who do not watch NFL or even have the NFL as their primary team, but watch SEC/ACC/Big Ten football etc. You will simply add those markets. Additionally, the really small markets fall to division 2 and bigger more successful team rise to division 1. 60 teams and then an extensive USL
There arent 32 good quaterbacks now, or kickers for that matter. Going to 60 would be a joke. Tim Tebow starting QB. No thanks
the appeal of those college teams is the chance to win something as important as the BCS championship. simply adding them into an NFL pyramid with the large majority of them being a D2 NFL team is not going to get anyone excited. they’ll just stick with their college team.
Are you kidding? I went to school in a power conference area. Those fans root for a League and BCS title because they want bragging rights and all they have. Their popularity shoes that there is a market for fairly high level football in the area. If you have NFL 1 and NFL Division 2, and those markets had a team (and there was no college football), there would always been something to cheer for: top 15 teams pushing for playoffs and title bottom 10 avoiding relegation, Division 2 teams pushing for promotion places and playoffs.
BTW, I don’t want to get bogged on NFL comparison, I am talking about soccer once the market becomes big enough.
“bottom 10 avoiding relegation, Division 2 teams pushing for promotion places and playoffs.”
this is my point. i remain skeptical that would actually be the reality.
i’ve said before, my utopia is a pro/rel system, with a cap, playoffs, and youth PT requirement per team 🙂
If that’s what MLS wants they are shooting themselves in the foot. They’ll get their fast money, but they could eventually make more fans, MORE money, and better soccer, with a proper pyramid structure.
That’s the problem. With the way American soccer is set up, it creates a Independent soccer league versus Franchise soccer league environment with fans. That type of thing is also hurting the sport no matter what the MLS bots say. Starting a soccer league that’s growing and even running like a NFL league is not what’s good for American soccer. At times I wish that MLS would fold, but that will not help American soccer and that will not keep the USSF from making the same mistakes again with the next. The USSF been here for a little over a hundred years and they still have not created a proper soccer pyramid, a finished first division and a soccer passionate staff to run the USSF office.
Cool quotes I read from Curt Onalfo on LA Galaxy II playoff match at Bonney Field…
“You kidding me?” Galaxy II coach Curt Onalfo answered when asked about the Sacramento environment. “Twelve thousand people here. And if you have a bigger venue, it’s probably more people. I think the market’s ready and the market is great for MLS. And it’s a market where it’s really going to matter.”
“The fans in this venue – it’s a real soccer venue,” Onalfo said.
Coming off the field to screaming profanity, with a hint of danger in the air? Like Robert Duvall with the smell of napalm in the morning, Onalfo loved it.
“It was insane,” he said. “The atmosphere was a tough one, so yeah – it’s good.”
Just was in Sactown visiting family, and this is definitely where the next franchise needs to be. Is it the sexy choice (miami)? no. But is there a built-in rabid audience ready to go? YES.
Until Minnesota and/or Miami get their “stuff” together, let’s stop playing and give it to the Republic.
Does anybody know the public/private money split for the stadium?
24 teams is where we need to stop. Home and away will equal 46 league games. Play from February to late November.
Focus om creating a proper 2nd division
Why stop at 24? Our country is huge and can support more teams.
Yeah but anything beyond 24 or so should involve pro/rel. We could probably have 40-50 teams eventually but it’s kind of silly to have a 50 team league. Plus it would be difficult/impossible to maintain the same standard of play with that many teams.
its a big country.
all of the other leagues here have found 30-32 as the correct amount of markets in DI. I can see MLS shooting for four divisions of eight. 38 game schedule = 7 home division + 7 away division + 24 games out of division. Should be easier to implement pro/rel at this point.
No need to implement pro/rel
If they can play in first division, let em.
No need to exclude.
You don’t get it. Actually you got it completely backwards. I am sorry to pick on you, but think about this :
Exclusion is not letting clubs climb up the pyramid. MLS is excluding lower division clubs, and fans who dismiss the value of lower divisions are ignoring the fact that a pyramid inherently shares and grows talent. Competition breeds talent. It hurts US soccer to have a weak 2nd division, and an exclusive (must be rich) 1st division. Instead, be as inclusive as possible. With an MLS2, or whatever, US could have an incredible situation – basically two good pro leagues joined at the hip and including 50-60 clubs. Some go up some go down, D2 but playoffs will REALLY mean something, in fact every game will really mean something.
60 clubs is pretty inclusive. Let any club with a stadium join. Let the rich owners whine and force them to buy good players to stay up. I think, personally, creating this – making it more cutthroat – is, beyond being obviously beneficial for US soccer and development, is the only way we’ll ever become a soccer power.
Agreed. Also, in the other sports leagues in the US, there is little to no foreign competition for players so we can expand to our hearts content. Not in soccer.
I’d like to see a 36 team league with two, 18-team conferences. In year one, the top eight teams in each conference make the playoffs. The bottom eight teams overall (both conferences combined) are not playoff eligible the following year, except the bottom eight teams play in a season-ending knock out tournament and the winner remains playoff eligible for the next year. Thus, poor teams remain in the league but are “relegated” from the playoffs the next year no matter how they finish. That keeps incentives sharp and play at a high enough level. When we get this right for a few years, maybe then open up talk of further expansion. I think the normal pro/rel situation is not realistic for several decades probably.
I dont get it
But you still think Pro/Rel is still going to happen?
Hmmmm ok.
You are free to have your view point.
i would put my money on this being the route MLS goes. maybe the details tweaked a bit but the overall idea seems to be where we are headed.
Only a person that don’t know about American soccer history will say this. American soccer never had a completed first division league. They all folded before they stop expansion and MLS is heading through that same problem. The NASL did not have any problems until they reached 24 clubs. As is, MLS is losing a lot of money, but is holding on because they USSF give them money from the USMNT and USWNT. Corrupt, right? At the end of last season, MLS lost $100,000,000 (but gained that back by expanding in Atlanta and Minnesota). When MLS stop expansion and the league have over 24 clubs, MLS could fall like the past leagues that done the SAME THING!!!!!!!!!!
anything involving Kevin Johnson should be considered a complete lie
He gets the Sepp seal of approval.
Is that right? I live in So Cal, and mostly just know KJ from his NBA days. He’s been Sac mayor for quite a while, so I assumed was doing a decent job. Just another lying pol though, huh? Bummer, man.
Pro sports teams never help an economy, EVER
Taxpayers pay for the stadiums and facilities for years seeing nothing of it, while all that time that money could of been used towards developing and aiding public works programs.
Meanwhile, professional teams don’t pay any taxes and contribute nothing to the cities financial well being.
K-J was fun to watch with the Suns but I’m afraid he might of picked up some bad habits from Republicans while there
Ok so this means MLS is likely to give Miami 2 the next expansion franchise.