Sac Lands New Pro Franchise

[superhornet]

Mayor Kevin Johnson just announced that a United Soccer League franchise will move to Sacramento with hopes up jumping up to MLS.

What causes me to question this is the characterization of the Capital region as a "soccer hotbed." I haven't exactly seen that. I have friends who play soccer, and the younger brother of one of my classmates was just honored with MLS' Goal of the Year, but we're not exactly a "hotbed" in the way that the Pennsylvania mining areas are a football hotbed or the way Texas is crazy about football.

While the owner gets demerits for that, perhaps it's all in the sales job. He DOES get credit for being the guy who brought in the River Cats.

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/12/03/sacramento-getting-professional-soccer-team-in-2014/

 

[iSac]

Wow, I hadn't heard about that. Good for Sac.

The thing that surprised me the most is that Elk Grove has been actively trying to land an MLS team. In fact, per a recent EG Citizen article,

"Elk Grove has been working on bringing a team to the city since last December, when the city and Northern California Soccer signed a council-approved exclusive negotiating agreement that runs through December 2016.

The agreement means the organization can’t negotiate for a site on which to build a soccer facility anywhere else in Sacramento County or any adjoining county for another four years."

http://www.egcitizen.com/articles/2012/12/06/news/doc50c0eb8aa7402028931754.txt

 

[(619)HOR-NETS]

Not to bump an old thread, but they (Sac Republic FC, as they are now called) are set to open their '14 campaign at SCC, if I remember correctly, and they are still trying to iron out specifics for a new stadium by Cal Expo. Shirt sponsor is UCD Children's :tothehand: .