In the world of modern revenue driven sports, a dedicate single-use stadium is often essential to the success of a professional sports franchise. The era of multi-use stadiums, stadiums built to save costs by housing two teams in a space built specifically for neither, has come and gone. NFL and MLB teams have leveraged themselves into state-of-the-art facilities across America. These teams, which have strong historical connections to their communities, often build these stadiums with subsidies from the local government, which cities feel compelled to hand out when their local teams threaten relocation.
For Major League Soccer clubs, leverage is severely lacking. Playing a "second-rate" sport in a young league, MLS clubs have yet to establish the same kind of roots in their hometowns that older more established teams take for granted. Threats of relocation holds little sway over local governments that have, in many cases, recently completed the business of building stadiums for NFL or MLB teams (or both). Because MLS teams are usually the last to come calling, they bear the brunt of backlash from citizens sick of their cities spending money on stadiums for revenue-rich franchises owned by billionaires.
Forced to turn elsewhere, many MLS teams are leaving city centers and heading towards suburban areas. Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake; all have soccer specific stadiums in suburban communities, where MLS teams have found governments willing to subsidize construction. DC United and the Houston Dynamo, two teams fighting to secure stadium deals in their respective cities, have had mixed results. A stadium in Houston looks to be a certainty, but the Dynamo have been forced to make concessions to facilitate the process. Early designs for the facility are spartan and devoid of aesthetics; with funding limited and subsidies lacking, the team is forced to choose function over form. The Dynamo will also share the stadium with the Texas Southern University football team, a nod to financial considerations, as it will bring in $2.5 million annually.
DC United have yet to make any real progress on a stadium in the District of Columbia, and things have taken a turn for the worse with the recent pullout of a major developer from the Poplar Point project (the proposed location of a United stadium). The suburbs look likely to be the team's ultimate destination, with Prince George's County (directly east of the city) actively wooing the MLS club. The Poplar Point stadium has long been the dream of United's passionate supporters, a smaller stadium which would heighten their already intense home atmosphere.
Those clubs yet to secure stadium deals will not be helped by the recent downturn in the economy, and plans already in place may have to be scaled back. Luckily for MLS, only DC United, San Jose, New England, and Seattle are without progressing projects or venues under construction. San Jose is attempting to move forward with a 15,000 seat stadium financed exclusively with private funds, while New England and Seattle have unique sharing deals that allow them to play in NFL stadiums either rent free or at a favorable rate. The league may force these teams to move to a soccer specific stadium in the future, although economic factors could serve to lessen the pressure.
Per the league, a concrete stadium plan is must for any city hoping to land an expansion team; Portland, Miami, Vancouver and St. Louis have all attempted to line up stadium financing or are looking renovate existing facilities to meet the demands of soccer. Portland's bid is almost certainly dependant on the ability of their investors to secure city financing for a renovation to PGE Park. The effort is a source of major debate in Portland, and the anti-stadium crowd is vocal and determined. Miami seems to have no definite plans, although the league may overlook that fact in light of FC Barcelona's association with the bid. Vancouver hopes to renovate BC Place if awarded a franchise, a plan with a fraction of the cost of constructing a new facility. St. Louis appears to have everything in place, with both a site selected and sufficient funding secured.
Dedicated, team-controlled stadiums are essential for the future growth of the league on a number of fronts. The financial benefits are obvious, as teams are able to keep revenue in house. Teams must also have scheduling control, not only for revenue reasons (games on optimal dates, weekends, etc.), but to aid in alleviating the fixture congestion that has become an issue in recent years. Stadiums built for soccer greatly aid in improving match atmosphere, something which not only begets more support, but increases the appeal of televised matches.
As Major League Soccer looks to weather the economic storm currently blowing through, it will be well-served by the soccer specific stadiums already in place. It would have been difficult to see the league surviving a similar economy ten years ago; with too many teams in cavernous football stadiums and hamstrung by poor rental agreements, the financial crisis may have done more damage than the league could withstand. The push for these stadiums must continue, despite the times, for MLS to reach the heights it and its fans believe it will.
Relevant Links:
A fantastic stadium info presentation
San Jose stadium update
Dynamo stadium update
An appeal for Portland's stadium deal
DC United stadium drama
More United stadium drama
