CARSON, Calif. – And then there were four.
Major League Soccer announced the four finalists for the next round of league expansion on Wednesday, slimming down a list of 12 applicants. Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville, and Sacramento were chosen as the four finalists with the two future expansion clubs to be announced later this year.
All four ownership groups will make formal presentations to MLS commissioner Don Garber and the league’s expansion committee in New York on Dec. 6 and then following a meeting of the league’s Board of Governors on Dec. 14, MLS will engage in further discussions before the two teams are announced at the end of 2017.
“The leaders of the Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento MLS expansion ownership groups have bold visions and innovative plans for their clubs, stadiums and their involvement in their respective communities,” said Commissioner Garber in a statement. “We are pleased these highly-respected business and sports leaders have been so determined to bring Major League Soccer to their cities. We have been greatly encouraged by the progress that all four of these groups have made and we are looking forward to their presentations.”
The eight markets not chosen were Charlotte, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, and Tampa/St. Petersburg. Although neither of these markets were chosen as finalists, they remain under consideration to be selected as expansion clubs at a later date.
The ownership groups for each finalist can be found below:
Cincinnati: Carl H. Lindner III – Co-CEO of American Financial Group and Owner, Chairman and CEO of FC Cincinnati; Scott Farmer - CEO of Cintas Corporation.
Detroit: Dan Gilbert – Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans, Inc.; Tom Gores – Owner of the Detroit Pistons and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Platinum Equity.
Nashville: John Ingram – Chairman of Ingram Industries Inc. and CEO Nashville Soccer Holdings; Wilf Family – owners of the Minnesota Vikings; Turner Family – Managing Partners of MarketStreet Enterprises.
Sacramento: Kevin Nagle – Managing Partner of Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings and Minority Owner of the Sacramento Kings. Jed York – CEO of the San Francisco Forty-Niners. Mark Friedman – President of Fulcrum Property Group and Minority Owner of the Sacramento Kings, and other limited partners.
