Soccer in Nashville

[markhollin]

By way of comparison, here are all the existing soccer-only stadia in the MLS league:

 San Jose:

 

Colorado:

Columbus:

Dallas:

Houston:

Los Angeles FC:

 

Montreal:

 

Orlando:

Philadelphia:

Portland:

 

New York/NJ:

Salt Lake City:



LA Galaxy:

Toronto:

Chicago:

 

Kansas City:

[titanhog]

I hope we can get an MLS team.  I think in 20 years, every big US city will wish they had one.

[henburg]

An MLS team would be a great asset to the city, and the stadium could serve as another venue for other events as well. Also, if I remember correctly, Portland's MLS stadium is actually adapted from their old Minor League Baseball team's stadium. That could be an interesting concept to look into for Greer. 

[Canuck87]

9 hours ago, titanhog said:

I hope we can get an MLS team.  I think in 20 years, every big US city will wish they had one.

I totally agree. The popularity of the MLS should continue to grow, especially as the demographics of major cities continue to shift. 

Apparently, Nashville already has a solid amount of interest in soccer, considering that the previous two international friendlies played at Nissan Stadium (U.S. v. Guatemala and Mexico v. New Zealand) both drew crowds of 40,000+.  I also recall reading that Nashville had one of the fastest growing (if not the fastest growing) immigrant populations of any American city. Plus, the bulk of the season runs during the summer, after the Predator's season ends and before the Titan's season begins, so a team wouldn't have as much competition from the city's existing sports franchises.

Edited November 20, 2016 by Canuck87

[Flatrock]

9 hours ago, titanhog said:

I hope we can get an MLS team.  I think in 20 years, every big US city will wish they had one.

Right there with you. This would be a fantastic addition for the region. It could also act as a bridge for so many cultures represented in our city. Used to watch Columbus play when I lived in Ohio. Wonderful experiences.   

[nashvylle]

Did anyone get the chance to read the NBJ article (subscriber content only) which interviewed Bill Haggerty, and basically called him a longshot? Wondering if it had any new information. 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2016/11/18/just-call-them-the-nashville-longshots-bill.html

Edited November 21, 2016 by nashvylle

[smeagolsfree]

No real information in any of the articles as it was more of a, go team go booster series. We are a long shot at best getting a MLS franchise, however with some of the money people behind it, the old adage "money talks and you know what walks" may be a game changer. That is my reading into the back story. I have no idea who is behind other teams in other cities and their money could be even more.

[PruneTracy]

On 11/20/2016 at 9:07 AM, henburg said:

Also, if I remember correctly, Portland's MLS stadium is actually adapted from their old Minor League Baseball team's stadium. That could be an interesting concept to look into for Greer. 

This is correct, though it actually hosted real football before minor league baseball, and continues to do so today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_Park

Portland's stadium is probably the best case study for adaptive reuse in MLS, and definitely has the most character. But it's also located in a high-density and very accessible neighborhood just outside of downtown Portland. Can't say the same for Greer (though the geometrics for reusing the stadium work out as discussed here).

1 hour ago, smeagolsfree said:

We are a long shot at best getting a MLS franchise...

There is another way.

Deloitte released a report today looking into the impacts of instituting promotion and relegation into the American soccer pyramid.

https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/sports-business-group/articles/professional-club-soccer-in-the-usa.html

Granted, this study was funded by the owner of an NASL club, and the MLS has repeatedly shot down the idea. But this is an issue with a lot of fan support and it's not going away.

If it happens, competing for a limited number of franchises becomes moot. It doesn't matter if Nashville starts with a rec team from Harpeth, it's all about winning games.

[Rockatansky]

I still think we're too small for another pro sports team.

[Canuck87]

1 hour ago, Rockatansky said:

I still think we're too small for another pro sports team.

I think that may be true at the moment. But 20 years ago, when the plans to bring pro-sports to Nashville were being discussed, the area's population was just over a million people. At that time, Nashville was probably too small to justify 2 pro teams, yet here we are.

It will ultimately come down to whether there are folks with money who are willing to bet on the current growth continuing. If Nashville does in fact add a million new residents in the next 20 years (or whatever that number people like to throw around around is...), 3 pro sports teams is certainly feasible (see, e.g., Cleveland, Denver, Pittsburgh).

[21jump]

Those soccer stadiums look like they cost significantly less than NFL and MLB stadiums (just judging by the pictures).

[Canuck87]

7 hours ago, 21jump said:

Those soccer stadiums look like they cost significantly less than NFL and MLB stadiums (just judging by the pictures).

Based upon my non-scientific research (i.e., Wikipedia), your assessment is 100% accurate.

The 3 newest MLS stadiums (Avaya Stadium in San Jose, BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, and Sporting Park in Kansas City) cost $100 million, $98 million, and $211 million, respectively.

By comparison, the 3 newest NFL stadiums (U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Levi's Stadium in San Francisco, and AT&T Stadium in Arlington) cost $1.061 billion, $1.3 billion, and $1.44 billion.

[nashvylle]

Levi's Stadium cost $1.3BN? It really is not that great of a stadium in my opinion, especially compared to U.S. Bank Stadium. 

[grilled_cheese]

I was looking at lowest season ticket prices for MLS and they were in the $300s for a single ticket.  That's for 18 games I believe.  So, ~$16 a ticket.  Stupid cheap, I'd be a day 1 season ticket holder without a doubt.

 

We bought a 15 game pack in the upper deck for the Preds and it came out to $1700.

[21jump]

I think, between the taxpaayer money and Vanderbilt (since they have been flirting with the idea of a new football stadium) a new soccer stadium is actually feasible. It could go where Vanderbilt Stadium currently sits and Vandy could play at LP field for a year or 2 during demolition and construction.  I guess one of the biggest issues might be who would actually own the stadium if the city and university went in on it together.

[Titans10]

35 minutes ago, 21jump said:

I think, between the taxpaayer money and Vanderbilt (since they have been flirting with the idea of a new football stadium) a new soccer stadium is actually feasible. It could go where Vanderbilt Stadium currently sits and Vandy could play at LP field for a year or 2 during demolition and construction.  I guess one of the biggest issues might be who would actually own the stadium if the city and university went in on it together.

I feel like that lot would be too small for a new stadium, it already is cramped and i imagine both sides would love me more suites and concourse area and bigger locker rooms on site, it could go in the parking lots used during the football season but then the university would probably have to build a parking garage on the current stadium lot. Watching football the other night I noticed Houston's new stadium design would probably work well for Vandy and Soccer, holds about 40,000 and  wasn't crazy expensive to build. 

 

[Nashtitans]

Have y'all seen the st louis proposed mls stadium? It looks really good. If MLS does come here, I hope we get something like it.

[grilled_cheese]

I would prefer a stadium in the 18 - 25k range.  We don't need 40k seats and it would be too big.  I'd want to be able to sell out the arena on a regular basis.  At 40k I doubt that happens regularly, if ever.

[Canuck87]

17 minutes ago, grilled_cheese said:

I would prefer a stadium in the 18 - 25k range.  We don't need 40k seats and it would be too big.  I'd want to be able to sell out the arena on a regular basis.  At 40k I doubt that happens regularly, if ever.

Agreed. The average MLS attendance is only around 20,000. A stadium that seats 40k would almost always appear half empty, which isn't a good look.

Plus, if a larger venue was ever needed for a particular match, there's always Nissan Stadium. Montreal took this approach in their eastern conference finals match against Toronto FC recently. Since Montreal's stadium only seats 20k, they played at the Olympic Stadium to accommodate a crowd of 60k+. 

[markhollin]

Here are two more proposed stadia designs for potential MLS expansion teams.

Sacramento:

Indianapolis:

The proposed new stadium for DC United. It will replace RFK Stadium.

[titanhog]

Kinda wish we could make an "entertainment district" out of the land along Cowan where Top Golf is going...with a soccer stadium, shops, restaurants, apartments and an elevated crosswalk that gets you over to Titans stadium and the east bank riverfront.

Btw...saw this from September: http://www.thebluetestament.com/2016/9/5/12785714/mls-expansion-update-phoenix-minnesota-nashville-lafc-and-more

Nashville, Tennessee

A new group has formed in Nashville with the hopes of securing an MLS franchise. They apparently will work in connection with the newly minted USL franchise that will move Nashville FC up from the National Premier Soccer League (unofficial fourth tier). Nashville seems like the perfect fit for soccer. It's a hip city that is very up and coming and only has the Tennessee Titans of the NFL as the other professional sports team. Also, when this news was announced, the MLS league site put out a list of possible sites for expansion including, "Sacramento, St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, San Antonio and San Diego among those competing for the final spots." That's seven cities, including Nashville, that are competing for four spots (assuming Miami is the 24th team).

Edited November 25, 2016 by titanhog

[Canuck87]

30 minutes ago, titanhog said:

It's a hip city that is very up and coming and only has the Tennessee Titans of the NFL as the other professional sports team.

Apparently, someone isn't a hockey fan...

[Nathan_in_DC]

On 10/17/2016 at 10:02 AM, PHofKS said:

This area is strictly car-centric. People drive in for games, then drive out afterwards. There is probably no semblance of an urban live-work-play lifestyle on game days. The Broad Street Bullies (Hockey team unofficial nick-name) should move back to Broad Street (downtown) at the least.

I have to disagree there. The proximity of the BSL station lends itself to a LOT of people choosing public transit over driving. When I lived up there and would go to the occasional Phils game, I would almost exclusively take the R5 (now the Paoli-Thorndale Line) regional rail line into the city, switch to the Broad Street Line at City Hall/Suburban Station, and ride that down to the game. The stations were always packed with sports fans during events. Of course, thousands do drive in and the parking lots are busy during games, what with people coming in from the region (New Jersey, Delaware, and the further out PA counties).

That being said, it is a wasteland down there, and there isn't much to do in the immediate vicinity of the stadium.

[Canuck87]

Word of Nashville's push for pro soccer has spread overseas. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/11/28/music-city-sets-sights-mls-rise-rise-soccer-nashville/

[Flatrock]

26 minutes ago, Canuck87 said:

Word of Nashville's push for pro soccer has spread overseas. 

 

Great, informative article - thanks for sharing! Interesting how I just learned so much cogent info about Nashville soccer, but had to read it in a British newspaper. Good stuff.