![]() LOUISĪ market once thought dead as an expansion option, St. Which markets will follow Austin into MLS? Goal takes a closer look at the leading markets in the running for what are now three available expansion slots - ranked in order of their chances of being selected by MLS: 1. A new ownership group came together in Columbus to keep the Crew in business, thus helping MLS avert a PR nightmare, and the announcement of former Crew owner Anthony Precourt being awarded an expansion team in Austin, Texas sets up MLS for Austin FC to begin play in 2021 as the league's 27th team. The 24-team league will expand to 26 in 2020 with the arrival of Inter Miami and Nashville SC. Louis now looking like near-certain options for the 28th and 29th expansion slots. As much as a 30-team league seems like overkill, the continued success of the league's recent expansion teams, and the reality that multiple prospective markets have ownership groups willing to pay expansion fees north of $100 million, means MLS still has plenty of reason to keep expanding.Īpril's announcement means that instead of wondering which market will land the 28th expansion spot, the focus will turn to which markets can position themselves to grab the 30th slot, with Sacramento and St. When MLS announced in April that it was backing off its self-imposed 28-team expansion limit, and setting a new limit of 30 teams, it was a game-changer for a league faced with the possibility of having to reject a viable expansion market in order to hold firm at 28 teams. This week's MLS All-Star Game in Orlando will give several expansion candidate groups a chance to state their cases for securing one of the three expansion slots expected to be filled in the near future. Though league officials have stated there will be no announcement made this week on new expansion teams, it is a safe bet this week will help clear up the picture on which markets are set to fill the next three expansion slots. Those have been replaced with questions of how much more can the league grow. There are no longer questions about whether the league will survive. Below are the attendance numbers for the two existing Texas clubs.Major League Soccer expansion has seen the league grow in ways few could have imagined 17 years ago, when contraction forced the league to shrink to 10 teams, leaving its future in doubt. It seems Phoenix may have to wait for the expected next round of expansion.Īlthough Austin appears to be a done deal, I simply don’t understand why MLS would think that Austin is a strong candidate city. While that would be a West based team, Sacramento is acknowledged as the leading city for that place, and a strong San Diego bid would be competing with Phoenix. And even though a new group has bought Columbus and will keep it in place, word is that Precourt is promised a franchise in Austin, leaving only one expansion place to be added. ![]() So instead of MLS adding two teams to the West, one would be added to each conference. When Precourt bought the Ohio franchise license, he had a proviso that enabled him to move the club to Austin which naturally would be in the West. That brings up balancing the league to 14, meaning another two teams to the West and Phoenix’s hopes for selection. Nashville also joins in 2010 or 2021 which you would expect to join the East, bringing the count to 14. FC Cincinnati will begin play in 2019 and is expected to join the East as will Miami in 2020 or 2021. MLS is currently on track to expand to 28 teams, although most folks expect that there will be another round of growth to 32, but that’s for another time.Īs of the 2018 season, the Western Conference has 12 teams and the East has 11. Soccer Stadium Digest: Playoff Run Boosting Phoenix Rising FC MLS Expansion Chances?.101ESPN: A Tale of Several Cities Looking For MLS Expansion.Crain’s Detroit Business: Deal to save Columbus Crew may harm Detroit’s chances at an MLS expansion team. ![]() Ives Galarcep: MLS expansion: Ranking the remaining potential markets.From Reddit contributor: Last 2018 MLS Expansion Ranking Update Dec 2018.MLS Multiplex: Phoenix Rising: Heat no problem in bid for MLS Expansion.Phoenix Rising FC will be in the group looking to be picked. ![]() More articles about MLS expansion city hopefuls as Phoenix Rising FC and several other groups compete to join the league. December 29th, 2018 // No Comments » // Major League Soccer
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