Sacramento's MLS expansion bid thrown in to jeopardy over power struggle

The lone MLS expansion bid that appeared to be a lock suddenly is surrounded by questions and uncertainty.

Brian Straus | Feb 1, 2017

Sacramento's MLS expansion bid thrown in to jeopardy over power struggle /

One of American soccer’s most authentic, feel-good stories took a distressing turn Tuesday evening, and now the lone MLS expansion bid that appeared to be a lock suddenly is surrounded by questions and uncertainty.

Sacramento had “checked all the boxes,” MLS officials said. It was a “matter of when, not if,” they said. And while other expansion candidates worked to nail down their stadium plans or prove their market’s support for soccer, Sacramento Republic cultivated a fan base in the country’s 20th-largest media market, connected with a community, drew record crowds, sold lots of scarves and won a USL championship. The team is only three years old, but on occasions it felt like it’s been around for three generations. Fans loved the colors and knew the staff. A culture was established and that, along with the established brand equity, looked like an asset MLS just couldn’t ignore.

Then the bid books were submitted to the league’s Manhattan headquarters on Tuesday, and it turned out that it was Sacramento’s own expansion effort that seemed to be ignoring that asset. The “shovel-ready” Railyards stadium plan was in place as was lead investor Kevin Nagle, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur leading a group that included the Sacramento Kings, the San Francisco 49ers and, most recently, Hewlett Packard president and CEO Meg Whitman. But the bid material was scrubbed of the Republic logo. The club’s website said nothing about expansion. There was no press release, even as teams that weren’t even teams were making their announcements on Tuesday afternoon. Nagle removed the SRFC from his Twitter handle. Republic fans panicked. Nagle and the club stayed silent.

MLS expansion: An in-depth look at the many bids for the league's next four clubs

Was there a civil war in Sacramento? Did Nagle, a minority investor in Republic, use its popularity to build momentum for his own MLS bid then cut the USL team loose? Was Republic simply asleep at the wheel? Rumors of discord between Nagle and Republic founder and majority owner Warren Smith circulated, and two sources told SI.com that there indeed had been friction in the past. Smith got Republic off the ground, but he needed many more millions to get them across the finish line. A potential tug-of-war wasn’t surprising.

Nagle finally broke his silence late Tuesday, telling The Sacramento Bee, “My preference would be to keep the Republic name.”

It sounded like lip service, and Republic ratcheted up the tension when it released its statement Wednesday morning. Somehow, the team that had been gunning for MLS since its inception had no clue it was omitted from the application.

"We are just as surprised as our fans to hear that various news outlets are reporting that a bid was submitted to MLS for Sacramento which does not reference Sacramento Republic FC,” the statement read. “If these reports are true, this is deeply troubling to us. This journey has always been an endeavor to elevate your team, Sacramento Republic FC, to MLS. If the bid submitted yesterday by Mr. Nagle did not include Sacramento Republic FC, it was in violation of our agreements and without our authorization; and we will take this up with the appropriate parties immediately. We want to thank all of Sacramento Republic FC's fans for your continued support. This is, and always will be, your team.”

Potential, future soccer stadiums in America

North Carolina FC

The Raleigh bid for an MLS expansion team unveiled a stadium plan for a downtown venue within the boundaries of Peace St., Salisbury St., Lane St. and the N.C. Railroad easement.

Miami

David Beckham's ownership group in Miami has released a rendering for a stadium in the Overtown neighborhood, the latest desired site for an MLS expansion bid that kicked off in 2014.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati doesn't yet have a nailed-down location for an MLS stadium, but the expansion hopeful has released renderings for a 25,000-seat stadium inspired by Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

Portland Timbers

The Timbers are adding 4,000 seats as part of a $50 million renovation to Providence Park.

Portland Timbers

The Timbers are adding 4,000 seats as part of a $50 million renovation to Providence Park.

Atlanta United FC

Atlanta United will share Mercedes-Benz Stadium along with the Atlanta Falcons in a state-of-the-art venue.