MLS Commissioner Garber Talks Growth, Expansion (Indianapolis?), League’s Future

By Barry Janoff

Photo: MLSJuly 25, 2024: While surveying the current landscape of the league during the All-Star Game and related events this past week, MLS commissioner Don Garber also looked ahead, taking about growth, expansion and soccer in the U.S. all with an eye on the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, to be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“There is no city in the U.S. or Canada that couldn’t support another MLS team,” Garber said during a media conference July 24 attached to the 2024 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target in Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH.

But that came with a disclaimer: “(San Diego) is going to be the end of expansion for a period of time until we're ready to expand again,”

St. Louis City SC was the 29th MLS team and the most recent expansion team, having joined the league for the 2023 season. San Diego FC will become the 30th MLS franchise in-play when the 2025 season begins.

Beyond that, future sites of interest also include Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix and perhaps, in particular, Indianapolis.

“So right now there isn't a specific plan to expand, but I know many of you might have seen the mayor of Indianapolis (Joe Hogsett) was here over the last couple of days," said Garber.

"If there's a good market for us to expand in and that market makes sense with the right owner and the right stadium plan, I think like any league, we would strongly consider expanding beyond the 30 teams that we have now.”

Hogsett was part of a group that met with Garber and other league executives in Columbus this past week, also including Indianapolis chief deputy mayor Dan Parker and Tom Glick, veteran sports executive and investor, who is working with the city regarding MLS.

Glick was president of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, the owners of Charlotte FC, when the club joined MLS in 2022 as the league's 28th franchise.

Indianapolis has been an anchor for the NFL, which currently holds its annual Scouting Combine in Lucas Oil Stadium, and was the site of Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 to conclude the 2011 season.

The Indianapolis Pacers are also one of the NBA’s stronger smaller market franchises.

“The folks at the state and other people around the city are very bullish about an MLS team in Indianapolis,” said Garber.

“But we've done this a lot. We've expanded about 20 teams in the last 25 years, so we understand how to manage this process. We love the city, we love the support from city leaders and the state. We think there's an interesting ownership dynamic. We like the location they're talking about with a stadium. We'll continue to work with them and see how it plays out.”

According to the Indianapolis Star, “Indianapolis plans to ask the Indiana State Budget committee to approve funding for a city-funded, soccer-specific stadium at the Indianapolis heliport site. Those plans were approved by the City-County Council and Indianapolis Metro Development Commission earlier this summer.”

According to Inside Indiana Business, “The Hogsett administration in the coming weeks is expected to receive a completed feasibility study and fiscal analysis for the proposed soccer stadium site at the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport from Chicago-based Hunden Partners.

"Those reports will be submitted to the Indiana Finance Authority, State Budget Committee and State Budget Agency for consideration as part of a request to finalize a new professional sports development area, or PSDA, taxing district.”

“You need a great stadium project, you need support from the community — both the business, but also the political community,” said Garber during the media conference. “You need to have a proper stadium plan and you need to have an ownership group that really believes in Major League Soccer and what it can do for a city.

“Those elements are the elements that are being worked on now. This is relatively new and it's early in the process, but we're encouraged and excited about the discussions that we've had going on.”

According to Garber "I think so far they are doing everything right. They are following the playbook . . . This is a process. It takes time. These are teams that require a whole lot of constituencies to come together, from ownership to city leaders to other fans and partners, and we're very much in the beginning of the process."

MLS is in the strongest position in league history with the eyes of the soccer community set to focus on the 2026 World Cup.

MLS team sponsorship revenue reached a record $587 million, a 15% year-over-year increase.

Leading the the growth were the finance, healthcare and insurance brands, which spent $92 million, $79 million and $47 million, respectively, according to the 2023 MLS Marketing Partnerships Report from global sports and entertainment intelligence platform SponsorUnited.

As the league hit the one-year anniversary of Lionel Messi’s first game with Inter Miami CF (July 21, 2023), MLS said it is continuing to ride the wave of success it experienced in 2023 thanks in large part to his presence.

Photo: Inter Miami CFAccording to MLS, “Following a record season in 2023 that saw new highs across key business metrics, MLS' momentum continues in 2024.

“Along with record-setting attendance, new corporate sponsors and revenue continue to grow at record levels. Throughout the properties of MLS and Soccer United Marketing — the league's commercial arm — many prominent companies spanning various industries have signed on as sponsors of MLS and SUM properties during the first half of 2024.”

“When sports leagues were founded, they had this idea that you've got to protect the small markets from the big markets,” said Garber during the media conference. "I think you see that in many other major leagues.

“That's not what we have in Major League Soccer. You've just got to get it right. You have to connect all the dots between your players, your fans, your stadium, your community and you've got to really understand the game. If you do that, you put a winning team on the field, people will come out.

“You’re going to see potential new expansion. We’ll see how it all plays itself out.”

Messi Year One: MLS Continues Attendance, Sponsor, Revenue Growth

Score More For Lionel Messi: MLS On Pitch To Set New Attendance Marks

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