Expansion Rumors Megathread

[sbrylski]

Garber will hang around till 2026 if Concacaf get the world cup.

If they get the world cup,id also expect MLS to expand to 32 teams.

24 - Miami

25-32 id imagine would come from one of these cities.

- Sacramento
- San Diego
- Las Vegas
- Phoenix
- San Antonio
- Nashville
- North Carolina
- Indianapolis
- St Louis
- Detroit
- Cinncinatti
- Tampa Bay

I'm not exactly sure why I love doing this so much, but I do.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division - New England, New York City, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia, DC United
North Division - Montreal, Toronto, Detroit*, Columbus, Chicago
South Division - Cincinnati*, Nashville*, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami

WESTERN CONFERENCE
North Division - Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Minnesota, Kansas City
South Division - Real Salt Lake, Colorado, Phoenix*, Dallas, Houston
Pacific Division - Sacramento*, San Jose, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, San Diego*

*Expansion Team

Probable order of admission:
2020 - Nashville, Sacramento
2022 - Detroit, San Diego
2024 - Cincinnati, Phoenix

If either of the 2022 bids fail, the 2024 bids would sneak in earlier. My gut is telling me that MLS wants another non-Florida Southern team (Nashville/Charlotte/Raleigh), and Nashville is at the top of that list if they're ready in time. And of all the Eastern bids, the Detroit market and ownership are both top tier.

Out West, there's nothing wrong with Phoenix, except that it doesn't have Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Landon Donovan as part of it's ownership group. If only the San Diego group can secure their land.

And then all that said, I don't know how MLS could turn down adding at least two more, if Phoenix and Cincinnati are just sitting there ready to go. I'm a little nervous that expansion fees for #29+ would be so high that certain markets start withdrawing, but if they're still just sitting there with their checkbooks out...

 

[Gotham Gator]

I'm not exactly sure why I love doing this so much, but I do.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division - New England, New York City, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia, DC United
North Division - Montreal, Toronto, Detroit*, Columbus, Chicago
South Division - Cincinnati*, Nashville*, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami

WESTERN CONFERENCE
North Division - Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Minnesota, Kansas City
South Division - Real Salt Lake, Colorado, Phoenix*, Dallas, Houston
Pacific Division - Sacramento*, San Jose, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, San Diego*

*Expansion Team

Probable order of admission:
2020 - Nashville, Sacramento
2022 - Detroit, San Diego
2024 - Cincinnati, Phoenix

If either of the 2022 bids fail, the 2024 bids would sneak in earlier. My gut is telling me that MLS wants another non-Florida Southern team (Nashville/Charlotte/Raleigh), and Nashville is at the top of that list if they're ready in time. And of all the Eastern bids, the Detroit market and ownership are both top tier.

Out West, there's nothing wrong with Phoenix, except that it doesn't have Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Landon Donovan as part of it's ownership group. If only the San Diego group can secure their land.

And then all that said, I don't know how MLS could turn down adding at least two more, if Phoenix and Cincinnati are just sitting there ready to go. I'm a little nervous that expansion fees for #29+ would be so high that certain markets start withdrawing,

Dear God... please no divisions...

but if they're still just sitting there with their checkbooks out...

 

[sbrylski]

Dear God... please no divisions...

There really isn't another way to do it. Even if you have single-table conferences, you still have hidden divisions due to scheduling imbalances. If there are 30 teams and everyone plays everyone, that leaves 5 extra games. Might as well group teams to play 4 of those 5 with common opponents. The 34th game can be a rivalry week to protect teams that got split up (e.g. Columbus and Cincinnati).

 

[Dnigly13]

I'm not exactly sure why I love doing this so much, but I do.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division - New England, New York City, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia, DC United
North Division - Montreal, Toronto, Detroit*, Columbus, Chicago
South Division - Cincinnati*, Nashville*, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami

WESTERN CONFERENCE
North Division - Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Minnesota, Kansas City
South Division - Real Salt Lake, Colorado, Phoenix*, Dallas, Houston
Pacific Division - Sacramento*, San Jose, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, San Diego*

*Expansion Team

Probable order of admission:
2020 - Nashville, Sacramento
2022 - Detroit, San Diego
2024 - Cincinnati, Phoenix

If either of the 2022 bids fail, the 2024 bids would sneak in earlier. My gut is telling me that MLS wants another non-Florida Southern team (Nashville/Charlotte/Raleigh), and Nashville is at the top of that list if they're ready in time. And of all the Eastern bids, the Detroit market and ownership are both top tier.

Out West, there's nothing wrong with Phoenix, except that it doesn't have Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Landon Donovan as part of it's ownership group. If only the San Diego group can secure their land.

And then all that said, I don't know how MLS could turn down adding at least two more, if Phoenix and Cincinnati are just sitting there ready to go. I'm a little nervous that expansion fees for #29+ would be so high that certain markets start withdrawing, but if they're still just sitting there with their checkbooks out...

move toronto and Montreal to the division with NE, NJ, NY. Move PHI and DC to Miami, Atlanta, and Orlando. Have nashville, cincy, columbus, chicago, and detroit all together. more geographically correct.

 

[sbrylski]

move toronto and Montreal to the division with NE, NJ, NY. Move PHI and DC to Miami, Atlanta, and Orlando. Have nashville, cincy, columbus, chicago, and detroit all together. more geographically correct.

Probably silly to defend my wild hypothetical, but Cincinnati is described as the most-northern Southern city. It makes as much sense to pair them with Nashville and Atlanta than it would with Chicago and Detroit.

Breaking up the 5-team eastern seaboard, Detroit and Toronto (4 hour drive), and Nashville/Cincy from Atlanta seems way worse than breaking up Cincy and Columbus.

 

[Dnigly13]

Probably silly to defend my wild hypothetical, but Cincinnati is described as the most-northern Southern city. It makes as much sense to pair them with Nashville and Atlanta than it would with Chicago and Detroit.

Breaking up the 5-team eastern seaboard, Detroit and Toronto (4 hour drive), and Nashville/Cincy from Atlanta seems way worse than breaking up Cincy and Columbus.

Chicago and nashville have a huge hockey rivalry. think they are a good fit together with cincy and columbus.

 

[Ulrich]

Probably silly to defend my wild hypothetical, but Cincinnati is described as the most-northern Southern city. It makes as much sense to pair them with Nashville and Atlanta than it would with Chicago and Detroit.

Breaking up the 5-team eastern seaboard, Detroit and Toronto (4 hour drive), and Nashville/Cincy from Atlanta seems way worse than breaking up Cincy and Columbus.

I went to school half an hour north of Cincy. They identify with Chicago and the Midwest. They do not identify with the south. They simply dump their pollution areas and airport across the state line in Kentucky, because Kentucky.

 

[sbrylski]

I went to school half an hour north of Cincy. They identify with Chicago and the Midwest. They do not identify with the south. They simply dump their pollution areas and airport across the state line in Kentucky, because Kentucky.

Huh, that's funny. My girlfriend spent a year in Cincy for a job so I visited the area a lot. The social circles we hung out with definitely identified more with the South - however, they were mainly Northern KY people, so they may have been biased. I was told Ohio north of Dayton and south of Dayton are practically different states, and it felt like that.

 

[Ulrich]

Huh, that's funny. My girlfriend spent a year in Cincy for a job so I visited the area a lot. The social circles we hung out with definitely identified more with the South - however, they were mainly Northern KY people, so they may have been biased. I was told Ohio north of Dayton and south of Dayton are practically different states, and it felt like that.

I went to MiamiU and lots of friends were from Cincy. They completely identified with Chicago/Midwest. North of Dayton, which really encompasses Toledo, identifies with Michigan, and Michigan is considered not Chicago. What was funny was that unless somebody was from Cleveland, nobody identified with the Northeast corner of the state. Ohio is a very odd state, almost like everybody wants to be associated with a different one.

 

[sbrylski]

I went to MiamiU and lots of friends were from Cincy. They completely identified with Chicago/Midwest. North of Dayton, which really encompasses Toledo, identifies with Michigan, and Michigan is considered not Chicago. What was funny was that unless somebody was from Cleveland, nobody identified with the Northeast corner of the state. Ohio is a very odd state, almost like everybody wants to be associated with a different one.

Most astronauts are also from Ohio. Which means Ohio sucks so bad, they don't even want to be on this planet anymore.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago has to be grouped together for Great Lakes Derby IMO. From my experience sports fans from Minnesota and Detroit don't like Chicago too much.

 

[Seth]

Cincinnati is not the south. My ex-inlaws were from there and I've been there a billion times. Not the south. But hey, I'm a New Yorker so what do I know? Personally I'm hoping they get in the league just so I can go see matches there and have an excuse to get some of that fine, fine Cincinnati chili again.

 

[adam]

Cincinnati is not the south. My ex-inlaws were from there and I've been there a billion times. Not the south. But hey, I'm a New Yorker so what do I know? Personally I'm hoping they get in the league just so I can go see matches there and have an excuse to get some of that fine, fine Cincinnati chili again.

Soon mgarbowski will have to change his catch phrase to all threads eventually lead to Cincinnati chili

 

[JGarrettLieb]

I hope so. He's been very, very good.

The problem is not that he's been very very good and wants to retire, it's that he's been to good that Garber is the heir apparent for Goodells job at the NFL.

 

[LionNYC]

The problem is not that he's been very very good and wants to retire, it's that he's been to good that Garber is the heir apparent for Goodells job at the NFL.

You think Garber will takeover the NFL after Goodell? Garber is a year older than Goodell and went through a cancer scare. I think after MLS he's done working.

 

[JGarrettLieb]

You think Garber will takeover the NFL after Goodell? Garber is a year older than Goodell and went through a cancer scare. I think after MLS he's done working.

It's easy to convince someone to not retire or unretire if you offer a $60+ million salary.

 

[413Blue]

The problem is not that he's been very very good and wants to retire, it's that he's been to good that Garber is the heir apparent for Goodells job at the NFL.

Many people (in soccer circles) were speculating the same with Selig. Garber/Abott have been incredible. Hopefully we don't lose either one anytime soon, and I don't see Goodell being forced out, so I think we have time!

 

[Shawn Ryu]

You think Garber will takeover the NFL after Goodell? Garber is a year older than Goodell and went through a cancer scare. I think after MLS he's done working.

Only way that happens maybe, is if NFL owners fire Goodell and that doesn't seem like that is gonna happen soon.

 

[ferrarinycfc]

by the looks of it, Goodell will be extending his tenure to 2024

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20403881/roger-goodell-close-signing-contract-extension-2024

 

[EganSoccerWords]

https://twitter.com/x/status/902617234282909696