Nashville finds owner to lead potential MLS team as expansion bid gets stronger
MLS named Nashville as one of 10 markets that had expressed interest in bringing an expansion team to their city and had the makings of a potentially strong bid. Now we know who the owner to lead that bid will be: John Ingram.
Ingram is a Nashville businessman who comes from a family with a net worth approaching $4 billion. It's safe to say they have the wealth to fund an expansion team and get it off the ground, which is crucial as league costs skyrocket. Not only will teams have to pay a $150 million expansion fee, but they'll also have to get a stadium and training facility built, as well as fund the launch of an academy and operating costs.
In addition to having deep pockets, Ingram is a Nashville local with deep ties to the community. His business is local, he is active in local charities and he is on the board of trustees at Vanderbilt University.
Those ties to Vanderbilt could come in handy for a stadium search. The university is interested in building a new football stadium and the football team and MLS team could partner on a stadium that seats 35,000-40,000.
The three things that MLS has repeatedly said are most important to the league are good ownership, a stadium plan and local support. Ingram checks off the first box and Vanderbilt could help them with the second. Mayor Megan Barry has expressed support for bringing an MLS team to the city and while she hasn't said she would be OK with giving public money to a soccer stadium, it is a possibility, so that could also help Ingram get a stadium deal done.
Local support is tougher to measure because the city has never had an established professional soccer team, but the fans have done a great job showing up in big numbers to see national teams play matches in the city. The United States will play a Gold Cup match in Nashville in the summer, giving the city another chance to show it can support the sport. They also have plans to welcome a USL team to the city in 2018.
MLS will expand to 28 teams, meaning there are four spots up for grabs. Two will be announced next year then begin play in 2020, with two more being decided not too long after. Formal bids for the teams are due next month.
Nashville's bid for an MLS team looks stronger than ever thanks to Ingram's leadership. We'll still have to see what direction he takes things and whether he's equipped to land a team, but having a leader is a big step forward. A stadium is next to tackle, but Nashville is definitely in the mix.
