Indianapolis is officially pursuing an MLS team.
The city announced Thursday it will put in a bid for a Major League Soccer expansion team, potentially placing in jeopardy the plans that are underway to develop Eleven Park.
Here is what you should know.
San Diego FC, which will debut in 2025, paid a reported $500 million fee. St. Louis City SC debuted in 2023 and paid an expansion fee of $200 million. It’s too early to tell what a potential expansion fee for Indianapolis might be, though it is worth noting the price has increased with the addition of each team. As a point of reference, New York City FC paid a then-record $100 million in 2013 for the right to join MLS in 2015.
More:Indianapolis wants an MLS team, here’s how the expansion process works
Eleven Park, a more than $1 billion mixed-use development anchored by an Indy Eleven soccer stadium, could potentially house the MLS team. It is being built on Kentucky Avenue near the White River.
Alternatively, a stadium could be built at 355 E. Pearl St. on the site of the downtown helipad.
More:Indianapolis plans to pursue MLS expansion team, raising questions on Indy Eleven future
City officials did not identify any members of the ownership group, but stated the group of investors is led by “an experienced and well-respected sports executive who has held leadership roles in MLS and global soccer.”
Earlier on Thursday:Keystone accuses Hogsett administration of trying to walk away from Eleven Park deal
Major League Soccer was founded in December 1993. There are currently 29 teams. It is the highest level of soccer in the United States. Its first season was in 1996 when D.C. United beat the Los Angeles Galaxy for the inaugural championship.
Eleven Park would occupy roughly 20 acres near Kentucky Avenue. Plans call for it to include a 20,000-seat multipurpose stadium that would become the new home to the Indy Eleven soccer team. It is unclear what the seating capacity would be for a potential stadium at 355 E. Pearl St.
For a comparison, Nashville SC plays in Geodis Park, which seats 30,000. FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium seats 26,000.
Currently, there is no formal timeline nor a definitive process for MLS expansion, unlike in 2017 when 12 markets (including the Indy Eleven) bid for four teams.
With regards to the process itself, an expansion team in Indianapolis would begin at the local level with plans for a new stadium required to receive approval from local and state government, all before June 30. Upon receiving state approval, the city and the ownership group will submit an application to MLS. That application will include plans for the new stadium, a non-refundable application fee and detailed information about both the proposed ownership group and city of Indianapolis.
City officials hope to have an expansion application submitted by the end of the year.
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.
