Cincinnati was among 12 markets to submit an application for MLS expansion consideration by Tuesday’s deadline, joined by Charlotte, Detroit, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg.
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MLS will be selecting four expansion clubs from that pool with hopes to announce the first two by the end of the year for play to begin in 2020; however, Abbott would not rank any of the markets Wednesday. Three main criteria will be considered, including a committed and financially stable ownership group, a supportive market and a club-controlled stadium.
“We recognized that by yesterday when expansion applications were due … not every club or market would have a finalized stadium plan,” Abbott said. “What we asked for at this time was for people to provide us with information about the status of their stadium plan and what the path is for finalizing a stadium plan. We can’t select a market without a finalized stadium plan, so there is a difference in what you have to have when you filed yesterday and ultimately when we make the selection process, which is why we have said it could take all the way until the end of this year before we make those selection.”
The league office will be reviewing all the applications over the next few weeks and following up with markets regarding any further information it seeks before taking the process to the expansion committee in the coming months.
Abbott said stadium plans will need to be finalized before any selections will be made. That requires the club to have the site under control, relevant approval to build and funding secured.
While some markets already have stadium plans in place, FC Cincinnati had been hoping its current home at 40,000-seat Nippert Stadium, where it drew 17,962 fans a game in its inaugural year, would suffice.
However, the club has been scouting out sites for a new location since MLS announced in mid-December that it required a soccer specific venue. Club president and general manager Jeff Berding won’t go into specifics about the stadium plan but reportedly has narrowed it down to two sites between the Ohio River downtown and University of Cincinnati.
Abbott said Cincinnati is not necessarily behind because of its seemingly misplaced faith in Nippert.
“I wouldn’t categorize anyone as ahead or behind,” Abbott said. “People are in different stages of where they are, but I actually talked to Carl (Lindner) yesterday and exchanged notes with Jeff (Berding) this morning, and they are extremely focused on this. They have been successful in a number of endeavors obviously in other businesses, and I think they are bringing that attitude towards it. We just received the applications. There is going to be more back and forth as the process evolves over the course of the year, but I do know they are very committed to it and focused on this.”
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