Las Vegas To Submit Proposal For MLS Expansion
May 31, 2019, 3:27 PM
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Major League Soccer may be adding another club sometime in the near future.
An ownership group called the Baupost Group, will be submitting a proposal to the league to add an expansion club in Las Vegas. The group is headed by Seth Klarman, who is a minority partner in Fenway Sports Group, which also owns Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox.
The proposal includes the development and construction of a brand-new, 25,000-seat, indoor stadium on the site where Cashman Field currently sits which is where the city’s USL soccer team, the Las Vegas Lights play.
Las Vegas #MLS bid includes plan for indoor stadium: https://t.co/sIrjocM3qh #VivaLights
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) May 31, 2019
The Vegas city council is expected to vote on whether or not to enter into a negotiation stage regarding the stadium’s construction and eventual ownership.
MLS commissioner Don Garber previously announced that the league would expand from 27 teams to 30 in the coming years. The 28th and 29th spots are considered to belong to Sacramento and St. Louis and the 30th will be a toss up between Detroit, Charlotte, Phoenix and now, Las Vegas.
Long considered a minor-league town, Las Vegas has seen rapid growth in the major sports leagues. The Vegas Golden Knights, which started play in the NHL in 2017 have been a huge success and the Oakland Raiders are planning on moving into a brand-new world-class stadium in Las Vegas in 2020.
Next week, the Las Vegas City Council will consider a proposal to enter into a negotiating agreement for a downtown stadium.
The goal? Making a pitch to the MLS to turn the Las Vegas Lights FC into an expansion team. pic.twitter.com/ClOdlIJcRg
— Front Office Sports (@frntofficesport) May 30, 2019
Should Las Vegas receive an MLS expansion club, the team will be a natural rival with Real Salt Lake.
Currently, the closest MLS club is the Colorado Rapids, who play their home games in Commerce City which is 374 miles from Sandy. The site of the proposed stadium in Las Vegas would be slightly closer at a distance of 352 miles.
