The Columbus Crew’s future remains a major talking point even halfway through the MLS season, and that future apparently remains very uncertain.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber says that talks with the city of Columbus “are ongoing” regarding the Crew’s potential relocation to Austin. The Austin City Council has scheduled a vote for Aug. 9 as the city will decide whether to accept a deal to build a privately financed, $200 million stadium.
“[MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott has] met with the city to talk about what we might do together should the Crew leave Columbus,” Garber said, according to ESPN. “Those conversations are ongoing. I’m hopeful that we’ll come up with a resolution that’s going to be good for the city, good for ownership, good for the Crew and good for the fans.”
“You’ve heard me say many times, moving a team is never something that any league wants to do,” he added. “We are where we are, and we’ve accepted the fact that we have real challenges there, and we’re going to try and come up with an alternative that ultimately long term is going to be the best one for MLS.”
The Crew return to action on Aug. 11 against the Houston Dynamo.