MLS could reconsider its stadium mandate
When MLS commissioner visited Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon, he had nothing but praise.
He called the massive domed building “incredible” and told a story about how he could see it from afar as he drove into town from the airport.
He called the announced crowd of 70,245 that had tickets to watch Atlanta United and Orlando City play to a 3-3 draw awe-inspiring.
But minutes after the match, a crew set to work erasing all signs of soccer in the stadium in preparation for a NFL game the following day. MercedesBenz Stadium is multipurpose, housing both Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons, not the soccer-specific venue the league requires many other expansion teams build as keys to success in a growing league.
Did seeing Atlanta’s larger, turf-laden stadium filled with so many fans change Garber’s stance or alter expansion plans moving forward?
“It’s interesting; it’s a great question. The good thing about being new and trying to figure it out as you go along is you have a specific plan and then there are times when you have to modify that plan,” Garber said. “I think good business leaders and good businesses, you know, don’t just get stuck in their previous strategies but try to evolve and see how things develop.”
Atlanta isn’t the only team to play in a football stadium. For example, the Seattle Sounders share a home with the Seahawks and the New England Revolution play in Gillette Stadium, the Patriots’ fortress. And then there's New York City FC, which plays in the New York Yankees’ baseball stadium.
The Sounders average more than 40,000 fans at CenturyLink, which has a capacity of 67,000. They hold the league record for average attendance in a season with 44,247 — for now. Atlanta is on pace to break that this season, having entered Saturday’s match with an average of more than 45,000. But, the others are barely filled for soccer matches.
That’s part of the reason Garber implemented the strategy: to help teams control revenue and create COMMENTARY a better game-day atmosphere. The soccer-specific venues also provided a sense of community for the team and fans. They were considered integral to the league’s growth, and under Garber there has been a stadium-building boom, the latest to open being Orlando City's 25,500-seat stadium downtown. More are on the way, including 2018 expansion side LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium and D.C. United’s long-awaited Audi Field.
Building a stadium is expensive — Orlando City spent more than $155 million — and it can be difficult to maneuver the various political hurdles that stand between concept and creation, among other obstacles.
If ownership groups present a different, viable option, MLS will make exceptions. That was the case with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, pitched to the league by co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Falcons and Atlanta United.
“We really wanted a soccer stadium here and Arthur said, ‘Hey, this stadium I’m going to build is going to be the best in the world, it’s going to be world class, we’re going to fill it up.’ And he did,” Garber said. “So, I don’t know that that changes our point of view in any other market, but certainly when I see what’s happening here and in Seattle I’m happy that we have stadiums that can have 70,000 people in ’em.”
Atlanta’s new stadium also is among a short list of venues in the running to host a MLS All-Star Game in the next three years, according to a spokesman for the league.
Orlando City Stadium, which opened at the beginning of this year, also is on the list.
“We’re looking logistically for the next three years of all-star games, and we’ve got the new stadium in D.C., we’ve got Minnesota, we’ve got Los Angeles, we’ve got Orlando, we’ve got Atlanta, so we’re trying to figure out where they all fit in,” said executive vice president of communications for MLS.
Hosting an all-star match typically is included in an expansion franchise’s contract, and Orlando City wants the 2019 game.
The Central Florida Sports Commission submitted a request to the county for tourist tax dollars to host the event, but that request has not moved quickly.
But according to commissioner Don Garber, Orlando as an all-star host is “not an if, it’s a when.”
“It still certainly is an option,” Garber told the Sentinel.
“We are committed to bringing an all-star game to Orlando and we’ll work with the club and with ownership and with mayor Buddy Dyer and everybody else to make that a reality. So, it’s not an if, it’s a when, and I think that it’s gotta happen at the right time for the city and fro the club.”