Andre Swanston wants an MLS franchise in Bridgeport.
None of the six Major League sports organizations, MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the WNBA or Major League Soccer has Bridgeport, Connecticut on its radar as a potential expansion or relocation site. Bridgeport is the fifth biggest city in New England with about 150,000 people within the city limits. It is not a city with money but south and west of Bridgeport is one of the wealthiest areas of the country, the New York City bedroom community Fairfield County, Connecticut. Bridgeport is about 60 miles from midtown Manhattan and about 60 miles from Hartford. Size and geography would be against Bridgeport even if a big-time stadium was built next to the I-95 interstate.
Bridgeport, which has a minor league hockey franchise, is getting another minor league team. An MLS Next team that will start play in 2026. There is one problem. The team has nowhere to play and state lawmakers in Hartford aren’t giving Andre Swanston money to help construct a stadium. Swanston, a tech entrepreneur who lives in Fairfield County , thinks he can land expansion teams in Major League Soccer and an expansion team in the National Women’s Soccer League with a Bridgeport stadium. The planned stadium-village would include housing, restaurants and a hotel. Connecticut is trying to keep its Women’s National Basketball Association franchise. Hartford had a Major League Baseball team in 1876. Hartford had a World Hockey Association team between 1974 and 1979, then a National Hockey League team between 1979 and 1997. Connecticut officials could not find money for a new arena in Hartford and the team moved to North Carolina. Connecticut had a deal with National Football League New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in 1998 to move the team to Hartford but the deal fell through. Swanston has an uphill battle.
Palnned Bridgeport stadium-village
