MLS expansion: Dark horses already building great soccer palaces
The Chattanooga Red Wolves, Louisville City FC, and Indianapolis Eleven are all making stadium plans ahead of an MLS expansion bid. Here is the rundown on all three.
Three USL fringe candidates for Major League Soccer expansion aren’t waiting to get a nod. Instead, they’ll make USL the Upgraded Stadium League and simply hope that MLS takes notice.
The Chattanooga Red Wolves, Louisville City FC, and Indianapolis Eleven all have long-term hopes to field MLS expansion teams on their pitches. But right now, their stadiums hold them back. So, the three cities launched firm plans to build top-flight soccer-specific stadiums. And soon.
All the stadiums reside in new entertainment complexes. That’s the kind of thing that grabs MLS governors’ attention.
Here’s the rundown:
- Chattanooga Red Wolves stadium 5,500 seats
- Louisville City FC stadium 11,700 seats
- Indy Eleven Park 20,000 seats
Chattanooga expanding naturally
In MLS expansion mania, there’s no darker dark horse than the Chattanooga Red Wolves. The team is focused on building USL League One competitiveness. They’ve also had to repeatedly explain themselves as a piece of that area’s complex soccer puzzle.
That’s because of the already established National Premier Soccer League entry – the Chattanooga Football Club. The complaints are sort of like this: Imagine if there were a longstanding community theatre in your town. And then a flashy troupe opened a local stage that featured the traveling Broadway productions. And then the new theatre built an even greater, multi-purpose entertainment complex. That’s what’s launched in Chattanooga. And nobody wants to stop it.
And don’t bet $1 out of your worst enemy’s wallet that MLS isn’t monitoring this with extreme interest.
Louisville moving ahead
Louisville City FC have been waving to the league for MLS expansion for a while. Like the others, they have no intention of merely planning for future growth. Instead, they’re growing now and taking the community with them.
Their new stadium in Louisville’s historic Butchertown has financing in place. FC President Brad Estes made one of six finalists for Executive of the Year, the 2019 TheStadiumBusiness award. This stadium complex project pushed his name forward. So he’s in the running for an award whose judges each year seek the most outstanding venue visionary in the world. The award is presented this June, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, UK.
Indianapolis getting there fast
Indy Eleven would appear as dark a horse as Chattanooga. But they have brought up the subject of MLS expansion to the league before.
MLS expansion watchers discounted the Indianapolis bid because the league has plenty of strong Midwest coverage from Columbus and Cincinnati. But the market says just the opposite.
The Columbus Crew were saved from relocation in a strong and dramatic fashion. Cincinnati athletes played and supporters sang and chanted their way in the league, with their momentum not slowing, and there seems to be more room to grow in the local market. All Indianapolis needed was a soccer-specific stadium project.
The Indiana governor has such a project on the desk for action right now. It’s among the most ambitious multipurpose stadium complexes proposed that could involve MLS. This certainly moves Indianapolis up in the line for MLS expansion.
Sacramento is in for sure, even though that’s not official, so for Indianapolis to become automatic, Phoenix would have to stumble. The Arizona contenders haven’t gotten close to doing that yet.
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In the meantime, all contenders, from the front of the pack to the fringe, have to keep making plans. MLS expansion enjoys drama and suspense before it happens.