Major League Soccer started with 10 original teams in 1996 and has grown rapidly since then. In 1998, MLS added the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion (now defunct). In 2005, Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA (now defunct) joined the league. Toronto FC became the first Canadian team in 2007. The San Jose Earthquakes joined in 2008, the Seattle Sounders followed in 2009, and the Philadelphia Union entered the fold in 2010. MLS added the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps in 2011. The Montreal Impact joined a year later in 2012. In 2015, MLS welcomed New York City FC and Orlando City SC. Finally, this year, MLS added Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC to bring the league's total to 22 clubs. Los Angeles FC will join MLS next year. Also, MLS has awarded the league's 24th franchise to Miami, led by David Beckham's ownership group. The league will continue to expand to 28 teams and is currently looking at applications for the last four spots, two of which they'll announce later this year. But, is all of this rapid expansion a good idea?
The cities being looked at are Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, St. Louis, MO, Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, FL, Nashville, TN, San Antonio, TX, Raleigh, NC, Charlotte, NC, Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Phoenix, AZ, and Detroit, MI.
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All of these cities are hungry for a MLS franchise. Some are trying to promote teams from lower leagues and some are looking to start from scratch. Both kinds of franchises have been accepted before. Since there are 22 teams in the league, 11 in each conference, and LA FC is joining the Western Conference next year with Miami joining the Eastern Conference eventually, only two western cities and two eastern cities are likely to be picked. My guess would be St. Louis and Detroit for the East and any combination of Sacramento, San Diego, and San Antonio for the West.
I don't see soccer being successful in Nashville, Raleigh, or Charlotte. I just don't see soccer in Tennessee at all. Raleigh is in danger of losing the Hurricanes and Charlotte has already lost the Hornets once before. I don't see MLS granting either North Carolina market a franchise. I don't think the MLS should have any interest in Indianapolis or Tampa Bay either. Those markets just aren't good sports towns. I don't see success in Indy and there's just too much to do in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area that isn't soccer. Phoenix and Cincinnati can be good options but I see other markets as a better fit.
St. Louis' stadium proposal is being voted on by local officials in April so they would be one of my picks to be announced this year. The team could help fill the void left by the Rams and their ownership group includes Paul Edgerley, who owns a piece of the Boston Celtics and AS Roma, as well as former Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce. Detroit makes sense as it is a major market and their ownership includes Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores. San Diego's ownership group includes MLS legend Landon Donovan and they have a void to fill left by the Chargers departure. Sacramento and San Antonio both are viable options to promote teams from lower leagues. Sacramento's ownership group includes the San Francisco 49ers and the Sacramento Kings. San Antonio's ownership group includes the San Antonio Spurs.
Now going back to question of whether or not this continued expansion is a good idea, I think it's a good idea from a standpoint of reaching new markets and gaining more fans. All of the markets listed above are serious about a MLS franchise and that's a good sign. The game is becoming more popular and it's forcing the league to grow. With 28 teams, the MLS will be comparable to the other major North American sports leagues. The NFL has 32, the NHL will have 31 as of next year and they are also looking at a few more expansion possibilities, and the MLB and NBA have 30 each. However, I fear for the on-the-field product if the league continues to expand. More teams means more expansion drafts and the product will be watered down if you continue to spread the players across more teams. Just look at Minnesota United FC this year. In their first two games, they were embarassed 5-1 and 6-1. With continued expansion, those kinds of results will follow, and that's not a good look for MLS. It's something to be wary of. MLS needs to find a way to reach more markets and continue to expand without hurting their on-the-field product.
