The MLS Commissioner was in attendance at the All-Star Game and spoke about the future of the league.
William GittinsWillGittUpdate: Jul 24th, 2024 19:39 EDT0
Joseph MaioranaUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The great and the good of the world of MLS come together in Columbus this week for the All-Star Game. Ahead of the on-pitch action at Lower.com Field, MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke to reporters about the future of the league.
Garber was quizzed on plans for Leagues Cup and the Liga MX rivalry, but his plans for further expansion of the fast-growing league were particularly interesting. When asked about the prospect of further additions to the 30-team league, Garber said: “The expansion fee will be more than $500 million.”
Don Garber on how much it will be for a new club to join MLS: “The expansion fee will be more than 500 million dollars.”📸 @darioodoes #MLS #MLSSeasonPass pic.twitter.com/5GQfqOKhSJ
— Favian Renkel (@FavianRenkel) July 24, 2024
San Diego FC will become the league’s 30th team when they join MLS in 2025 and Garber admitted that a pause will be needed to prevent over-expansion.
“[San Diego is] the end of expansion for a period of time… until we’re ready to expand again,” Tom Bogert reported from Columbus. “If there’s a good market to expand in, I think like any league, we would strongly consider expanding beyond 30 teams.”
Which city will get the next MLS expansion team?
San Diego’s team is already taking shape, with a club crest, team stadium and first designated player signing already confirmed. It’s an exciting time for soccer in the city and there’s already speculation about the site of the next new team.
Indianapolis has been raised as a potential location in the past, a city with a real passion for the game and a big potential market for the growing league. At the event in Columbus Garber revealed that Indianapolis was of interest to MLS going forward.
“People around the city are very bullish about an MLS team in Indianapolis. We’ve done this a lot. We’ve expanded by about 20 teams in the last 25 years, so we understand how to manage this process.”
