The MLS holds a strange allure.
Las Vegas elected officials are the next group up trying to get the attention of Major League Soccer decision makers. The Las Vegas City Council will decided whether it should negotiate a deal that could pave the way for the construction of a soccer venue for the new owners of the United Soccer League’s Las Vegas Lights so the group could apply to join Major League Soccer. The new Lights’ ownership would like to take over an area that includes its present home and turn the 62 acres of land around the stadium into a stadium-village. If the politicians say yes to the stadium-village proposal, the city of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Light ownership will have 180 days to agree on a stadium-village land deal. Then the Light ownership can appear before MLS Commissioner Don Garber and the league’s owners with a proposal as long as they bring money.
In 2017, Major League Soccer owners came up with a plan to expand to four cities. Initially, the league had a hard time finding two cities let alone four. Eventually the MLS did get Cincinnati, Nashville and Austin into the lodge and it appears Sacramento and St. Louis are just waiting for approval. But the league has decided that it wants a sixth expansion team. It appears that Indianapolis is in the mix for that sixth franchise. The Indy 11 soccer franchise currently is a member of the second tier United Soccer League but ownership has a desire to move up to the Major League Soccer level. The franchise ownership applied to join the MLS during the league’s hunt to add four teams but was passed over. But now there is a commitment by Indiana legislators to put $112 million into a new soccer facility, the Indianapolis bid has been strengthened. Las Vegas joins Indianapolis, Phoenix and Charlotte in pursuing an MLS franchise.
