Why St. Louis Just Became The Leading Contender For A Major League Soccer Franchise

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/prishe/2018/10/10/why-st-louis-just-became-the-leading-contender-for-a-major-league-soccer-franchise/#34a452c47c9f

Why St. Louis Just Became The Leading Contender For A Major League Soccer Franchise

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https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/mls-and-liga-mx-have-toyed-around-with-the-idea-of-forming-a-north-american-super-league/

MLS and Liga MX have toyed around with the idea of forming a North American super league

The two leagues got together earlier this year for the inaugural Campeones Cup

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http://www.espn.com/soccer/major-league-soccer/story/3662201/bournemouth-forward-jermain-defoe-wont-rule-out-mls-return-i-enjoyed-it

Bournemouth forward Jermain Defoe won't rule out MLS return: 'I enjoyed it'

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https://www.tuko.co.ke/288584-arsenal-set-land-major-league-soccer-sensation-massive-january-deal.html#288584

Arsenal set to land Major League Soccer sensation in massive January deal

- Arsenal are set to sign Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron in January

- The 24-year-old Paraguayan has scored 12 times this season for Atlanta United in the MLS

- Almiron is expected to cost the Gunners about £15m to seal the switch

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https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/alphonso-davies-the-mls-record-breaker-heading-for-bayern-munich/

Alphonso Davies: The MLS record-breaker heading for Bayern Munich

In July 2018, it was announced that Bayern Munich had signed Alphonso Davies for an initial $13million, making him the most expensive player ever bought from Major League Soccer. He is 17.

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https://www.wcpo.com/sports/fc-cincinnati/fc-cincinnati-says-fans-benefit-by-adding-5-000-seats-to-new-stadium

FC Cincinnati says fans benefit by adding 5,000 seats to new stadium

What about that orange glow? Jeff Berding explains

CINCINNATI – The incredible success of FC Cincinnati prompted club owners to think bigger when it came to their Major League Soccer stadium in the West End, club president and general manager Jeff Berding said Wednesday.

That’s bigger as in 5,000 or more seats than originally planned, with twice as many club boxes and suites on the high end and more seats at lower-price points, Berding said.

“We originally looked at 21,000, but with our average attendance at 25,000, there’s no way we could build a stadium that small,” Berding said on Scott Sloan’s show on WLW radio.

FC Cincinnati fans will benefit from the new plan calling for 25,500 to more than 26,000 seats, Berding said.

Berding said the larger capacity would provide more “high-end seating options people will appreciate.” He noted that Nippert Stadum suites are sold out "and we have a waiting list.”

The increased capacity also “gives us more prices at lower-price points,” keeping costs low for families, he said.

Berding didn't talk about ticket prices in the new stadium, but the club previously said it would offer the lowest average ticket price in MLS in its inaugural season at Nippert Stadium in 2019. Season tickets will range from $199 for general admission to $1,350 for the Stadium Club, with per-game season ticket prices ranging  $11.71 to $79.42.

In the end, FC Cincinnati could have the second-largest soccer-specific stadium in North America, Berding said, behind Stub Hub Center, which holds 27,000 for LA Galaxy games. Orlando City Stadium lists capacity at 25,500 and Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J,. is 25,000.

FC Cincinnati is outdrawing all but three MLS clubs this year its final season in the United Soccer League at Nippert Stadium. Only Atlanta FC United (51,826), Seattle Sounders (40,584) and Toronto FC (26,799) average more, and those teams play in pro football stadiums.

Berding also commented on the bright orange glow to the rim of new stadium in design renderings released Tuesday. He said LED lights could be set to blue (the team’s other primary color) or to a wide assortment of colors or displays.

“If it’s the Fourth of July, it could be red, white and blue, or different images,” he said.

The field will be natural grass and could be used for high school and college sports or community events, Berding said.

Groundbreaking is expected in the second week of December, he said. The stadium is expected to open in March 2021 in time for the MLS season. In the meantime, FC Cincinnati will continue to play at Nippert Stadium on the University of Cincinnati campus through 2020.

RELATED: West Enders see new design and begin to relax.

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https://kplr11.com/2018/10/10/excitement-and-support-for-a-potential-mls-team-evident-at-st-louis-fc-game/

Excitement and support for a potential MLS team evident at St. Louis FC game

FENTON, MO - Major League Soccer getting another shot in St. Louis has been all the buzz with local fans.

And the excitement was evident at Wednesday night’s winning St. Louis FC game as the team pushes to make it to the playoffs.

“I think it`s safe to say that it hasn`t really gone away since the last time MLS came up,” said Sam Wise, “MLS is just another team, another club that comes in and we will support them the same way we support St. Louis FC.”

For some local players, the potential of the city scoring a professional team means big dreams coming true in their own backyard.

“That league is tough and it`s even tougher to play in this league,” said Austin Ledbetter who plays right back, “and it is a dream, that`s the goal so hopefully fingers crossed that may happen.”

Fans, team members and owners alike said that the latest buzz works in their favor.

“It will just heighten the visibility to soccer in general in St. Louis,” said team owner and CEO of World Wide Technology, Jim Kavanaugh. “It will also heighten the visibility to every different division of play we have within the club.”

“St. Louis FC in many ways will be integrated throughout that process,” said St. Louis FC president, Patrick Brown, “so we become a part of that organization and it’s something we support very much.”

Fox 2 also caught up with Carolyn Kindle Betz, Vice President and Executive director for Enterprise Holdings as she attended Wednesday night’s game against the Tulsa Roughnecks.

"I think what we are trying to do is have teams of all levels,” said Betz, “because I think at each level whether it's youth, USL or MLS we need all those teams here and we have fans that can fill seats for any level of any soccer game."

True enthusiasts said they`re making it their goal to not only keep the local soccer culture alive but to also keep the hope that one day, the same crowd will be even bigger at their hometown MLS stadium.

“Obviously St. Louis hasn`t been in a great light nationally in the last five or ten years,” said Dan Mory, “but we have a huge group of St. Louis supporters that are willing to invest back into St. Louis and we are saying, ‘Hey, St. Louis isn`t going anywhere we`re still a great town.”

Kavanaugh added that there are plans to bring Don Garber, the Commissioner of Major League Soccer and his executive team for a visit to St. Louis within the next two months.

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https://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/oak-view-group-ceo-nothing-has-changed-with-belmont-plan-1.21792471

SPORTS / HOCKEY / ISLANDERS

Oak View Group CEO: Nothing has changed with Belmont plan

Company bought MSG's stake, but that doesn't alter plans for a new Islanders' arena

Oak View Group chief executive officer Tim Leiweke said Wednesday that “nothing has really changed” to the group behind the Islanders’ Belmont arena development plans following Madison Square Garden’s sale of its stake in the company.

Oak View Group, which builds, manages and books shows to dozens of arenas nationwide, is partnering with the owners of the Islanders and Mets on a $1 billion sports and entertainment development at Belmont Racetrack.

“This was always an an OVG project,” Leiweke said, “and always something that I was personally going to drive with my relationship with [Islanders owner] Scott Malkin.”

When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the Islanders’ group was awarded the development rights to the state-owned land at Belmont in December, he also listed Madison Square Garden as part of the joint venture behind the Islanders' arena plans.

Leiweke said Wednesday that Madison Square Garden’s involvement in the Islanders’ project has only been through its equity stake in Oak View Group.

“They were obviously aware of what we were doing,” Leiweke said, “a willing participant in what we were doing, and a fan of that.”

On Monday, Madison Square Garden said it’s selling its stake in the company called Azoff MSG Entertainment — an original investor three years ago in Oak View Group — to entertainment executive Irving Azoff for $125 million.

“While we have sold our stake in Azoff MSG Entertainment, we remain confident that Tim and OVG – who bring decades of experience in arena development — will bring a world-class sports and entertainment destination to Belmont Park," MSG spokeswoman Kimberly Kerns said.

Leiweke said that deal is “separate and bigger” than what’s happening at Belmont.

Oak View Group, which began in 2015 as a partnership between Leiweke and Azoff MSG Entertainment, announced earlier this year that it received a capital investment from private equity technology firm Silver Lake, also an investor in UFC.

Oak View Group also is set to begin a $700-million renovation on Seattle’s KeyArena in preparation for a potential NHL expansion team.

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http://nysportsjournalism.squarespace.com/seattle-has-nhl-expansion-plan/?SSScrollPosition=158

Awaiting NHL Decision On Expansion, Seattle Seeks To Build Hockey Facilities

NYSJ Sports-Entertainment Business News Service

October 8, 2018: Last week, the NHL's Executive Committee voted unanimously to accept a proposal by an ownership committee based in Seattle and to forward that proposal to the league Board of Governors, which could decide at its next meeting in December whether or not to award an expansion franchise to the city.

In anticipation of the decision, NHL Seattle has unveiled plans to build the NHL Seattle Ice Centre, described as a “state-of-the-art practice facility with NHL-ready team offices and three community ice rinks as a key centerpiece of the phased redevelopment of Northgate in Seattle.”

The NHL Seattle leadership team includes David Bonderman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tod Leiweke, Tim Leiweke, Mayor Jenny S. Durkan, David Wright, Francesca Bodie and Len Potter.

If the NHL Board votes in favor of expansion, Seattle would become the league’s 32nd franchise, with on-ice plans aiming for the 2020-21 season. The ownership group said it already has 32,000 season ticket depositors.

The team would play in the renamed Seattle Center Arena, which the ownership group called a “historical landmark that will be retrofitted with a new world class interior, and built to be the most intimate and difficult away venue in the NHL.”

The proposed arena would be developed from the current KeyArena, north of downtown in the 74-acre entertainment complex known as Seattle Center — the location of the 1962 World's Fair — which itself is scheduled to undergo extensive renovation.

The NHL’s most recent expansion was last season, when the Vegas Golden Knights became the league’s 31st franchise.

This past Friday (Oct. 5), the NBA played an exhibition game in KeyArena between the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings, the first NBA game there since the Sonics left Seattle in 2008 and moved to Oklahoma City.

The arena's current tenants are the Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team and the WNBA champion Seattle Storm, which will move to the University of Washington's Alaska Airlines Arena during renovations.

The NBA exhibition game likely was the last event there before it is closed for redevelopment.

A $700 million renovation of the KeyArena is scheduled to begin this year all under the management of Tim Leiweke and the Oak View Group.

Regarding the NHL Seattle Ice Centre, “If we are awarded an NHL franchise, creating a one-of-a-kind training facility that can serve as the home of hockey in the Pacific Northwest for youth and adult hockey, all within the city of Seattle, is critical,” Leiweke, CEO for NHL Seattle, said via the ownership group.

“We’ve sought out this amazing opportunity at Northgate to meet our goal. This facility is designed with three ice rinks that will allow us to serve our community and it will be one of the finest NHL training facilities ever built."

"This facility is designed with three ice rinks that will allow us to serve our community and it will be one of the finest NHL training facilities ever built."

Highlights of the new training facility center include:

• Three NHL regulation ice rinks with spectator viewing locations and seating for 1,000 fans in the main rink and 400 in rinks two and three.

• A NHL training facility that includes state-of-the-art locker rooms and strength and conditioning areas.

• Offices for NHL Seattle hockey operations and administrative staff; restaurant, bar and retail space; and partner space for on-site activation, ice sports rental, retail shop, locker rooms and hospitality areas.

NHL Seattle said it is working closely with the NHL, Simon (owner of the Northgate facility) and the City of Seattle, "with the goal of starting construction as soon as feasible."

Construction is scheduled to be completed in time for NHL Seattle's inaugural season, should the NHL Board of Governors vote to approve a team in Seattle.

RENDITIONS COURTESY NHL SEATTLE

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http://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states/story/3665748/united-states-canada-mexico-could-form-combined-league-after-2026-world-cup?src=com

United States, Canada, Mexico could form combined league after 2026 World Cup - Liga MX chief