Once lease negotiations with San Diego State and Snapdragon Stadium are finalized, the investment group can put its expansion proposal before MLS owners
After a quarter-century of dashed hopes, after the league’s first commissioner called the city a “prime candidate” for expansion, after the All-Star Game came to Qualcomm Stadium in 1999, after the owner of a top Mexican club considered locating a team here, after former Padres owner John Moores showed interest, after the Soccer City ballot initiative failed in 2018, San Diego is finally poised to get a Major League Soccer franchise.
“We continue to push forward with confidence, and we are working together to make the deal a reality,” said a joint statement from the prospective majority investors, Mohamed Mansour of the Mansour Group and Sycuan Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez. “While we are still in the due diligence process, we remain excited about the prospect of bringing Major League Soccer to San Diego, a city and community with such a rich cultural and sporting heritage.
His son, Loutfy, oversees their investment arm, which includes Right to Dream, a high-performance youth soccer academy with facilities in Ghana, Denmark and Egypt that put players on a professional or educational track. Right to Dream is expected to build an academy in the San Diego area as part of the MLS project.
Wicker had offered either an equity partnership or a straight lease, and talks with the MLS group appear to have settled on the latter. But agreeing to a fee structure and who controls which dates can get complicated with multiple tenants, concerts and other events, and the unexpected run by SDSU’s basketball team to the Final Four slowed negotiations for a month.
What happens to the San Diego Loyal remains unclear. Sometimes teams from the United Soccer League are absorbed by an MLS expansion franchise, sometimes they continue to operate independently in the market, sometimes they fold.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
San Diego County budget would hike spending 10 percent, boost behavioral health servicesThe draft budget would add money for emergency treatment and staff up for the state's CARE Court model for mandated mental health care.
Read more »
San Diego Zoo euthanizes 59-year-old elephantMary, a 59-year-old Asian elephant, was compassionately euthanized after age-related joint ailments began to impact her life, the San Diego Zoo said.
Read more »
Will developers be interested in San Diego's Civic Center real estate?San Diego announced a plan last week to sell or lease five city blocks in its Civic Center. It comes with many stipulations.
Read more »
Gator by the Bay celebrates 20th anniversary, brings ‘Mardi Gras in May’ back to San DiegoMusic, food, and a whole lot of dancing once again highlight the Louisiana-inspired festival
Read more »