San Antonio is loudly declaring its MLS intentions, and the league thinks that’s pretty cool.
That doesn’t mean that a third Major League Soccer club is coming to Texas, but the writing is certainly on the wall.
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At the very least, considering the stadium drama in other markets like Miami, the league has to appreciate San Antonio’s move of purchasing the NASL side’s stadium.
Enter a bevy of arguments regarding strong arms and the power of Major League Soccer, as the NASL’s Scorpions won the 2014 title and average just under 7,000 people a game. But the city wants MLS.
From MLSSoccer.com:City and Bexar County officials announced they have reached a joint agreement to buy Toyota Field from current San Antonio Scorpions owner Gordon Hartman, pending official approval next week by the city and county.
As part of the deal, Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E), which owns local NBA franchise San Antonio Spurs, will receive a 20-year lease to operate the stadium with the goal of landing an MLS expansion team.
Major League Soccer’s response was to say they “appreciate the strong demonstration of interest” from SS&E and San Antonio, but that it has yet to determine how it will expand beyond 24 teams.
NASL commissioner Bill Peterson recently announced that the league will announce a new team with international links in the next week, and that it should reach 15-16 teams next season, with 20 expected the following season.
