Attendance dip complicating Indy Eleven’s stadium quest

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Attendance dip complicating Indy Eleven’s stadium quest

October 7, 2016

Anthony Schoettle

The Indy Eleven are succeeding on the field this year, but struggling to maintain their spot as North American Soccer League attendance leader.

And serious concerns about the NASL’s future have emerged, casting an even bigger shadow over the local team.

The club has seen a 20 percent decline in attendance since its 2014 inaugural season and some are wondering if team owner Ersal Ozdemir’s dream of having a new downtown stadium is just that—a dream.

Playing at IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium, the Eleven’s average attendance has slid from 10,465 in its first season—a sellout every game—to 9,809 last year and 8,341 this season, which still has two regular-season home matches remaining.

In the team’s first two years, the Eleven were runaway NASL attendance leaders. This year, the franchise has slipped to second behind Minnesota.