The future of pro soccer in Minnesota might be more a question of who will own the franchise and where the team will play, rather than whether this area will be granted membership in North America’s best league.
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has said MLS will expand by four teams within six years and Minneapolis is on a short list of potential new franchises. Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire wouldn’t confirm to Sports Headliners he will pursue an MLS franchise but it’s believed he is open to doing so—and leaving the North American Soccer League where the United play. A Minneapolis MLS team, if owned by McGuire, would likely play in a new soccer-specific stadium in Hennepin County.
The Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, have made it known they are interested in owning a Minneapolis MLS franchise. The Vikings have exclusive five-year rights to pursue an MLS team in their new downtown multipurpose stadium once it opens in 2016.
A source told Sports Headliners McGuire has interest in potential stadium sites near Mall of America and downtown. At either location an open air stadium seating about 20,000 would most closely approximate the facility model favored by the MLS, where playing in a domed facility isn’t the norm. The new Vikings domed stadium will have a capacity of about 65,000 for football but seats could be covered to create a more intimate setting for soccer. A partially transparent roof and facades will allow natural light into the Vikings stadium and create an outdoor viewing feel for spectators.
At first consideration it might seem doubtful there would be much public support for a soccer-specific stadium. But perhaps Mall of America interests would join McGuire in financing a stadium near the mega shopping center in Bloomington. A privately financed stadium at that location would provide a major outdoor venue that could be used for soccer, concerts and other attractions.
Before the MOA was built, Met Stadium in Bloomington hosted the Minnesota Kicks, a popular NASL team that drew large crowds because of the party environment fueled by tailgating. Combining the marketing power of the MOA with the lure of a new stadium and revived tailgating could create a lot of awareness about a new soccer product in Bloomington.
At least two sites near the Farmers Market downtown are being talked about for a soccer stadium. Proponents of the Farmers Market area fought to have the Vikings stadium there, arguing the location could be a financial stimulus to the neighborhood and even boost the city’s north side economy. It’s also said that a soccer stadium in that area—near Target Field and Target Center—further enhances the city’s entertainment district. The greater area is a transit hub that includes light rail and train service.
Hennepin County, the public partner in financing Target Field, might be a supporter of a Farmers Market soccer stadium. The county, unlike the city, is in a better financial position to help back a stadium and both public entities would profit from taxes and increased business activities.
Could the Twins also be a partner with McGuire in the team and facility? McGuire was in Kansas City, Kansas last December with a group that included Twins president Dave St. Peter. The purpose was to look at the local MLS’s stadium—Sporting Park, a facility that seats 18,467 for soccer and 25,000 for concerts. The outdoor stadium opened in 2011 and cost $200 million.
A soccer-specific stadium either at Mall of America or downtown would be expected to create event revenues beyond those generated by an MLS team. Whether the stadium is a public-private partnership, or privately owned, a 20,000 seat open air facility fills a void in the Twin Cities market and might interest various investors including the Twins who have staged concerts at Target Field.
Proponents of playing in the Vikings stadium will insist that with $150 million invested by the city and $348 million from the state, the only place that makes sense for a local MLS franchise is the new multipurpose venue being constructed on the old Metrodome site. The Vikings are paying the balance of the cost for the near $1 billion stadium and they will argue the facility was built to house as many events as possible, including soccer, and provide the best return on investment for all concerned.
The Wilfs or McGuire would likely pay $100 million or more as an expansion fee. The fee for the New York FC team that begins play in 2015 was $100 million. “Major League Soccer franchise fees have increased twenty fold from the league’s ten charter clubs in 1996 to introduction of the twentieth franchise in 2013,” according to a June 11 story last year by Christopher Savino for Businessofsoccer.com.
But paying around $100 million could be a bargain and a smart business move. While expansion fees have increased, so has the value of franchises. Chris Smith, reporting for Forbes.com in a story November 20, 2013, wrote that cities are lining up for expansion teams and that should not be a surprise. “In 2011, average MLS attendance hit 17,872 to surpass both the NBA and NHL, and it has since increased to 18,611 fans per game. More impressively, the average franchise is now worth $103 million, up more than 175% over the last five years.”
Those numbers have to catch the attention of McGuire and the Wilfs. If trends continue, the value of the Minneapolis team will escalate—perhaps dramatically—and even prompt interest in eventually selling the franchise for a big profit.
After decades of promise, soccer in America seems to finally be fulfilling the popularity forecast for the sport decades ago. The World Cup that started last month and continues until July 13 has been a reminder to Americans that the sport most popular in so many countries stirs interest in North America, too.
Downtown Minneapolis crowds have waited outside Brit’s Pub to watch the World Cup, and Minnesota kids are playing soccer in large numbers. With more ethnic groups who love the sport moving into the state, the interest in Minnesota soccer will grow. It’s that kind of following here and in other parts of the country that is pushing the MLS into a richer and more promising future.
With a potential 24-team league by 2020, it doesn’t make sense for the MLS to pass on Minneapolis-St. Paul, the 15th largest TV market. The question is who will own the franchise and where will the team play.
Worth Noting
Jeff Jones and those close to the Washburn all-state running back aren’t giving up on him enrolling at the University of Minnesota later this summer. His latest ACT score wasn’t high enough to meet NCAA eligibility requirements.
“They are bound and determined to get him on campus,” Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins told Sports Headliners. “They don’t want him to go to junior college.”
Jones is taking two online summer classes and will know the results by July 10. There is a possibility his grades from those classes will improve his high school GPA enough—combined with his ACT score—to meet NCAA requirements.
There are potential ways for Jones to attend Minnesota this year even if he isn’t eligible to play in games for the Gophers. Among those avenues is for Jones to be admitted by the University without a scholarship but train and practice with the team during the 2014 season.
Jashon Cornell, the Cretin-Derham Hall defensive end who announced this morning he will play for Ohio State, is likely to excel as a pass rusher for the Buckeyes. Cornell, who will be a high school senior next season, likely would have started for the Gophers in 2015.
Condolences to the family and friends of Paul Najarian who lost his struggle with ALS on June 23. Paul, 52, is survived by his wife Julie and three children. He is the son of Dr. John Najarian and wife Mignette. A football loving family, Paul played at California, where his dad also played for the Golden Bears. Brother Peter played for the Gophers. Paul was the longtime and original owner of Popeye’s Chicken on Lake Street. A visitation, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and celebration of his life, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., will be held tomorrow at Mendakota Country Club.
The Wild has sold the building where the NHL team offices, according to a Sports Headliners source. A real estate developer has purchased 317 on Rice Park but the Wild will continue to office in the building and the Minnesota Swarm will, too.
Daktronics will provide a major technology upgrade to Xcel Energy Center including a new custom HD LED center-hung video board nearly six times larger than the current one, stretching from blue line to blue line.
Additional upgrades will include replacement of outdoor marquees and ribbon displays that encircle the interior arena fascia. The new elements will be installed over the summer, with the official unveiling planned for the Wild’s first home preseason game on September 27 against the Jets.
The Wild were able to sign free agent Thomas Vanek and fill a goal scoring need because he was a pro sports exception—a player willing to make less money than he earned with his old deal. Vanek reportedly will earn $6.5 million after playing last season for $7.1 million.
The June 30 issue of Sports Illustrated includes a six-page story on Darren Sharper, the former Vikings safety, who faces multiple rape charges. “Cumulatively, the accusations are overwhelming, but individually they may be difficult to prove,” the magazine speculated.
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