How Nashville’s MLS expansion bid compares to rivals after stadium approval

When Nashville started its Major League Soccer expansion push one year ago as an unabashed underdog, observers placed Music City at the bottom of 12 communities vying for teams.

But after Metro Council’s approval Tuesday of a public-private deal for a $275 million 27,500-seat stadium, Nashville’s stock has soared.

Now, MLS followers widely see Nashville as one of two favorites to earn a franchise when the league awards two cities with teams next month.

The council vote, by an overwhelming 31-6 margin, culminated a yearlong push in which Metro moved up the pecking order.

More:Nashville Metro Council approves financing for $275M MLS stadium project

On multiple occasions in recent months, MLS commissioner Don Garber has identified Nashville, Sacramento, Cincinnati and Detroit as four standpoints since MLS began accepting expansion applications. He’s not ruled out the other eight cities, but he seems to have given a clear hint.

Sacramento has long been considered the clear expansion frontrunner, especially since it started pre-construction on a new downtown stadium. Detroit has abandoned a new stadium concept and is now floating the city's NFL stadium. Cincinnati has not approved a stadium plan.

Nashville seen as one of two cities ‘ready’ for MLS expansion club

A “soccer-specific stadium” is one of the league’s criteria for expansion suitors. That leaves Nashville and lead investor John Ingram, the billionaire controlling owner of Nashville Soccer Club, in a good place following Tuesday’s vote.

“Here we are a few weeks away from that deadline, and there are only two teams that have their stadium deal and investment group finalized,” said Brian Straus, who covers MLS for Sports Illustrated. “And those are Sacramento and Nashville.

“So the status quo at the moment is that Nashville is ready and is one of only two teams that’s ready. And unless something pretty dramatic happens in another market over the next six weeks or so, they have to be considered a favorite.”

More:Nashville embraces ‘underdog’ label in Major League Soccer pursuit

Miami is slated to be MLS’ 24th team, meaning the two teams to be announced in December would be the league’s 25th and 26th.

Over the past year, the Ingram-led ownership group has steadily done what it needs to — bolstered an already strong ownership group with the addition of the Wilf family, owners of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings; earned backing from Mayor Megan Barry to push for a stadium, and won council support for bond funding for a new soccer-specific stadium at the fairgrounds.

In a statement, Ingram said that with the stadium’s approval “Nashville checked off the final item that MLS needed to see.” He also made clear the “final decision on the team won’t be ours.”

FC Cincinnati says soccer-specific stadium plan coming in days 

Cincinnati is still seen as a strong contender. Like Sacramento, Cincinnati has the advantage over Nashville of having already proven it can support professional soccer — and in a major way.

In just two years of existence, Futbol Club Cincinnati, which plays in the second-tier United Soccer League, has broken USL attendance records, averaging around 30,000 spectators a game for the 2017 season. 

Cincinnati’s fan enthusiasm is likely appealing for MLS. And with the Columbus Crew exploring relocating to Austin, Texas, a team in Cincinnati could fill a geographic void. But FC Cincinnati has played its games at the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium — the school’s football stadium.

More:Nashville MLS stadium vote: What's at stake, hurdles for passage, and what's next

For its MLS bid, FC Cincinnati’s owners have explored three sites including in the city’s downtown and across the Ohio River in Newport, Ky., but they haven't gotten the political support they need from a government partner. 

Carl H. Lindner III, FC Cincinnati’s lead owner and co-CEO of American Financial Group, wrote in a Cincinnati Enquirer op-ed last month that the ownership group is committed to paying at least $100 million for a downtown stadium, which he said would be more than half the cost of a public-private stadium.

More:FC Cincinnati unveils stadium design, emphasizes Newport at OTR event

Jeff Berding, president and general manager of FC Cincinnati, in a statement this week, said Lindner and the leadership “continue to work diligently to meet the need for a soccer-specific stadium.”

Berding said FC Cincinnati is “nearing completion of a model soccer-specific stadium plan” that will rely on private investment and "growth-related revenues" while not burdening the city’s bottom-line or creating any new taxes  He pointed to Tuesday’s reelection of Cincinnati Mayor John Cranely as a pivot point to begin "a community-wide conversation on our stadium plan in the days ahead.

"We're very excited about where we are. We think it's a winning plan. It's a model plan that people can feel good about," Berding said during a Cincinnati radio interview Wednesday, adding: "I don't want to take a backseat to Nashville or anyone else. We're gonna show Cincinnati can get something like this done, and get it done the right way." 

Detroit’s pitch of NFL stadium goes against MLS expansion criteria

While the clock ticks for Cincinnati, Detroit last week suddenly scrapped its proposal to build a 23,000-seat stadium on an abounded county jail site. The stadium had been pitched as part of a larger redevelopment project estimated to cost $1 billion.

Detroit’s ownership group has now offered up Ford Field, the indoor dome stadium home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, for MLS Soccer.

MLS said the league has not reviewed Detroit’s altered plans, adding: “MLS continues to prioritize soccer-specific stadiums as a criteria for the selection of MLS expansion markets."

Detroit has something Nashville can’t match — a metro size that is ranked 14th overall. Nashville is 36th.

Like Nashville, Detroit also has an ownership group stacked with heavyweights.

As part of the Ford Field plan, the Ford family of Ford Motor company and the owner of the Lions joined Detroit’s MLS bid. They’ve joined an effort led by businessman Dan Gilbert, owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, and Tom Gores, owner of the NBA's Detroit Pistons.

More:Ford family joins Detroit's MLS bid, offers Ford Field as venue

Although MLS has made clear it prefers more intimate soccer-specific stadiums, Detroit could point to Atlanta United FC, a first-year team that has had wild success at the $1.6 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. 

When discussing the Atlanta stadium situation, Garber has said he wants MLS franchise owners to have control of the venues where they play. Atlanta United FC owner Arthur Blank also owns the Falcons, and the Fords have control over Ford Field.

Unlike Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is in its first few months of operation, 65,000-seat Ford Field is 15 years old.

Other cities have faded as Nashville’s bid has strengthened

Other cities that have made MLS bids are Phoenix, Indianapolis, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis; Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte, N.C.; and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.

St. Louis voters in April rejected a stadium proposal via public referendum.

San Diego is slated for a public vote on its stadium as well, but not until November 2018.

And in Charlotte, talks from city leaders about an MLS stadium fizzled last month, according to the Charlotte Observer, after a public-private financing agreement could not be reached. The newspaper quoted a city council member who cited the rising competition, including the “unbelievable” project in Nashville.

More:Nashville soccer fans come out in force for $275M MLS stadium proposal

Nashville’s biggest drawbacks, and perhaps biggest hesitation for MLS, could be its small market size compared to rivals and lack of history with pro soccer.

Under the financing plan approved in Nashville, the Nashville Sports Authority would issue $225 million in revenue bonds if Nashville is awarded a team.

The ownership team led by Ingram — majority owner of Nashville Soccer Club — would pay $25 million up front and $9 million a year over 30 years to help retire Metro’s annual $13 million debt for the project. Revenue from sales tax generated from the stadium as well as a $1.75 ticket tax is designed to cover the remaining $4 million. Metro would be on the hook if revenues fall short.

Later, Barry’s administration plans task the council to approve two separate $25 million general obligation bond transactions — one to pay for fairgrounds improvements and another for infrastructure work.

The Detroit Free Press and Cincinnati Enquirer contributed to this report. Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236, jgarrison@tennessean.com and on Twitter @joeygarrison.

MLS expansion bids at a glance from four possible top contenders:

Nashville

Investors: John Ingram, chairman of Ingram Industries, controlling owner of Nashville Soccer Club; Wilf family, owners of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings; the Turner family of MarketStreet Enterprises

Strengths: Booming local economy; growing Millennial population; strong ownership, stadium financing secured

Stadium plan status: 27,500-seat, $275 million stadium approved for Fairgrounds Nashville

Sacramento

Investors: Kevin Nagle, chairman and CEO of Sacramento Republic FC; co-founder of EnvisionRx Options; co-founder and president Warren Smith

Strengths: Strong fan base for Republican FC, Committed ownership group, robust economy, advanced stadium plan, hit all requirements long ago

Stadium plan status: pre-construction started for 19,621-seat, $226 million privately-financed stadium downtown; city paying for infrastructure 

*Source: The Sacramento Bee

Cincinnati 

Investors: Futbol Cincinnati, led by the Lindner family of American Financial Group; FC Cincinnati controlling owner Carl Lindner III; several minority owners

Strengths: Rabid FC Cincinnati fan base in just two years; deep-pocketed ownership; Midwest void if Columbus Crew relocates

Stadium status: Owners have pledged to unveil stadium specific soccer plan in days, but plan not approved

Detroit

Investors: Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores; Quicken Loans founder and chairman Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers; and the Ford family of Ford Motor Co.

Strengths: Large market; heavyweight ownership group; could fill Midwest geographic void if Columbus Crew relocates

Stadium status: Offered Ford Field, indoor home of the NFL's Detroit Lions, for soccer