MLS will announce Charlotte as the 30th team on December 17 in CLT
- Thread starter varsaku
- Start date
Tawnos
A guy with a bass
Anisimovs AK
Registered User
You can use them on the sidewalk. No police officer has ever cared enough to stop me, then again I live in Columbus, OH
HisIceness
This is Hurricanes Hockey
Sidewalks are pretty narrow here, and busy during events at the stadium, and with all the construction going on Uptown a lot of them are out of use temporarily.
BKIslandersFan
F*** off
GindyDraws
I will not disable my Adblock, HF
That'll depend on if the Canadian Premier League reaches a high enough level of legitimacy. But until then, they get exemption.
GindyDraws
I will not disable my Adblock, HF
Any market has potential for growth, there is no denying that. If he sees value and opportunity, he's going to sew the seeds of development. I just personally feel that the metrics currently side in favor of investing soccer in the Triangle instead of Charlotte, particular to the point as Charlotte is still a possible MLB expansion or relocation market. The discretionary income (which is what's left over from disposable income, that people spend on rent/mortgage payments, food, utilities, and clothing needs that you're free to do as you wish) isn't often much for families so there is a tight conundrum towards what they want to do with sports, that, as a whole, is going to become more and more expensive with fewer and fewer budgetary options for low income households to see live. For sports teams, not dealing with "the undesirables" is just part of the process, but it likely does explain why younger people aren't into or even aware of sports these days, with even people who could afford a game or two instead optioning for different means of entertainment. The Los Angeles Times recently ran an article dissecting how it's now virtually impossible to spend $100 or less in the city with any of the local teams in that area with only the Los Angeles Angels providing an option below the threshold that didn't involve a same-day limited quantity option with unsurprisingly the LA Lakers (who instead suggested the G-League affiliate, where tickets for 4 end up still above $100 as the team plays in the league's smallest venue, but you get food vouchers) and the NFL teams being the most expensive, and other news media likely have done stories of that nature. Comparing Charlotte to LA is comparing strawberries to cantaloupes, yet when you're describing the idea of people spending money to sporting events, there is a sense of relativity if you have multiple teams in a market, especially when you factor in Major League Soccer and how it's typical season spans from the beginning of March all the way to November, which while putting it in the worst time of the year for sports (summertime) with MLB as its only opponent, also means it does go into direct conflict with other sports and the discretionary dollar from March to May and from September to November.
In Charlotte, as I have mentioned on Twitter, spring and summer is dominated heavily by the Charlotte Knights, who routinely are at or near the top five in MiLB attendance and even lead the minors overall in 2018. And in the fall, it's obviously Carolina Panthers season, with more budget conscious customers likely looking towards the Charlotte Checkers (who are currently 9th in attendance in the AHL). I know the Charlotte Hornets technically should factor in, but considering the fact that in spite of how absurdly expensive NFL games are, people are more willing to invest in seeing an NFL game than an NBA game as an experience regardless of if the team is good or not, which applies to the Hornets' case, as they are most likely not making the playoffs and are 2nd worst in attendance so far this season. I'm clearly ignoring the Independence because I've already mentioned how much of a non-factor they are in their city and in the league, so I am looking at what the MLS team has to look forward. In essence, they're coming into this from the perspective of Charlotte having zero soccer history despite there being professional soccer going back to at least the early 1990s.
The reason why I break this all down is, looking at Charlotte (I don't live in Charlotte, I'm just trying to make sense of the move), while it does have a higher median household income compared to the rest of North Carolina at about $61,350 versus the average of $52,752 and supposedly fewer households below the "poverty line", it does feature some of the standard trappings of big city living, and has a higher cost of living versus the rest of the state when I used the Best Places calculator. I know this is an arbitrary comparison, but just because there's more money per citizen in Charlotte doesn't mean there's more money to spend, and that new MLS team is going to face some stiff competition. The early years will see them see lots of favorable support, likely from the households that make around or above $100K, sure, but what about sustainability, especially if the team is a stinker not unlike Orlando City SC? And what about the MLS as a whole, given their anemic place in the American TV landscape compared to international soccer, and thus have to rely mostly on the live gate? There are plenty of questions to ask about this move.
I thought I'd stew for a few days before giving a full analysis, so here it goes.
City Data Source
DaveG
Noted Jerk
So some hints dropped on the email survey I received today to potentially going the PSL route for seats in addition to season ticket prices. Of any ideas they could potentially implement to turn me off of buying season tickets that one would unquestionably be at the top of the list.
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I could see MLS being divided into 3 conferences:
Eastern:
Atlanta
Charlotte
D.C.
Miami
Montreal
New England
New York (Bronx)
New York (Harrison, NJ)
Orlando
Philadelphia
Toronto
Central:
Austin
Chicago
Cincinnati
Columbus
Dallas
Houston
Kansas City
Minnesota
Nashville
Saint Louis
(Expansion team)
Western:
Colorado
Los Angeles
Los Angeles (Carson)
Portland
Sacramento
Salt Lake
San Jose
Seattle
Vancouver
(Expansion team 1)
(Expansion team 2)
Confirmed Central expansion candidates: Indianapolis
Confirmed Western expansion candidates: Las Vegas, Phoenix
Eastern:
Atlanta
Charlotte
D.C.
Miami
Montreal
New England
New York (Bronx)
New York (Harrison, NJ)
Orlando
Philadelphia
Toronto
Central:
Austin
Chicago
Cincinnati
Columbus
Dallas
Houston
Kansas City
Minnesota
Nashville
Saint Louis
(Expansion team)
Western:
Colorado
Los Angeles
Los Angeles (Carson)
Portland
Sacramento
Salt Lake
San Jose
Seattle
Vancouver
(Expansion team 1)
(Expansion team 2)
Confirmed Central expansion candidates: Indianapolis
Confirmed Western expansion candidates: Las Vegas, Phoenix
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GindyDraws
I will not disable my Adblock, HF
Yeah, I'm gonna have to stop you there, chief.
1. Despite the perfect balance of 11/11/11, I don't think they'll split the league into thirds despite the geographical advantages. The Central Conference, in particular, would suffer from attendance problems and given MLS's TV viewership issues, would only have Dallas and Chicago as its true major markets (Houston is the USA's 4th largest city, technically, but in media presence, it's smaller).
2. It's still unclear if MLS would expand to those three expansion locations. Maybe instead of Indianapolis, they'll take a crack at Detroit? And what about the long term prospects of the Las Vegas and Phoenix projects?
3. At what point does MLS do a hard gate and say "enough" and shut off expansion once and for all?
To be honest, I think 30 should be it. Hell, 24 should have been it a while back.
The definition of "major market" varies widely. At its most inclusive, it's the top 25 markets. The Central Conference would be in at least five top 25 markets.
Plus as it is now, Nashville is in the West despite Chicago being further west. Something's gotta give here. And eventually, as MLS expands further, there could be four conferences down the road - East, North (Midwest), South, and West.
Plus as it is now, Nashville is in the West despite Chicago being further west. Something's gotta give here. And eventually, as MLS expands further, there could be four conferences down the road - East, North (Midwest), South, and West.
I've asked their e-mail address repeatedly about what the cost of the tickets are going to be around, and all I get is to be told to put a deposit down.
Just let me know if I'm looking at $35 a ticket, or $50. At $35, take my money. At $50, ain't worth it. Do they have any business sense whatsoever?
PCSPounder
Stadium Groupie
I'm in a decent seat above the concourse level in Portland at $38 per game (STH). I have a second ticket my stepdaughter usually uses in the standing-only Timbers Army at $28 a seat. Every seat has "technically" been sold in the history of the MLS franchise, so that has pushed up the prices considerably (the TA started at $18 in 2011).
I would bet you're not going to be stung that much, unless you think the club seats should be $35.
DaveG
Noted Jerk
Yeah part of the survey had a few pricing option possibilities. Club seating is going to be expensive regardless so I don't care on that one. But some of the prices they suggested were relatively reasonable, with the PSL being the real issue. 25-40 a game I don't mind. But when you try to do a PSL on top of it that jacks that up to 45-80 a game I'm not interested. Even if they try and push it as only a one time expense, I don't care, not interested because if the team ends up being something that just isn't for me I'm out that investment with no recourse.
Because of the schedule complications that come with an odd number of teams, I've decided to advocate a 12/12/12 format for the conference split.
Eastern:
Atlanta
Charlotte
D.C.
Miami
Montreal
New England
New York (Bronx)
New York (Harrison, NJ)
Orlando
Philadelphia
Toronto
(Expansion team)
Central:
Austin
Chicago
Cincinnati
Columbus
Dallas
Houston
Kansas City
Minnesota
Nashville
Saint Louis
(Expansion team 1)
(Expansion team 2)
Western:
Colorado
Los Angeles
Los Angeles (Carson)
Portland
Sacramento
Salt Lake
San Jose
Seattle
Vancouver
(Expansion team 1)
(Expansion team 2)
(Expansion team 3)
Confirmed Central expansion candidates: Indianapolis
Confirmed Western expansion candidates: Las Vegas, Phoenix
A 34-game schedule can be maintained in this format.
Each team plays the others in its conference twice (once each home and road) for a total of 22 matches.
Each team would also play 6 teams from each of the other conferences (three home, three road) on a 4-year rotating schedule for a total of 12 matches.
22+12=34.
The top 8 teams in each conference would qualify for the playoffs. The three conference winners are placed into a round robin for the MLS Cup. If one team beats each of the others, it wins the MLS Cup, without question. If each team goes 1-1, the team with the highest goal total will win the MLS Cup. If two teams score more than the other but scored the same amount of goals, a tie-breaker match will be played.
Eastern:
Atlanta
Charlotte
D.C.
Miami
Montreal
New England
New York (Bronx)
New York (Harrison, NJ)
Orlando
Philadelphia
Toronto
(Expansion team)
Central:
Austin
Chicago
Cincinnati
Columbus
Dallas
Houston
Kansas City
Minnesota
Nashville
Saint Louis
(Expansion team 1)
(Expansion team 2)
Western:
Colorado
Los Angeles
Los Angeles (Carson)
Portland
Sacramento
Salt Lake
San Jose
Seattle
Vancouver
(Expansion team 1)
(Expansion team 2)
(Expansion team 3)
Confirmed Central expansion candidates: Indianapolis
Confirmed Western expansion candidates: Las Vegas, Phoenix
A 34-game schedule can be maintained in this format.
Each team plays the others in its conference twice (once each home and road) for a total of 22 matches.
Each team would also play 6 teams from each of the other conferences (three home, three road) on a 4-year rotating schedule for a total of 12 matches.
22+12=34.
The top 8 teams in each conference would qualify for the playoffs. The three conference winners are placed into a round robin for the MLS Cup. If one team beats each of the others, it wins the MLS Cup, without question. If each team goes 1-1, the team with the highest goal total will win the MLS Cup. If two teams score more than the other but scored the same amount of goals, a tie-breaker match will be played.
I think the Eastern expansion team could be in Ottawa, the second Central expansion team in Detroit, and the third Western expansion team in San Diego.
GindyDraws
I will not disable my Adblock, HF
MLS delays debuts of three expansion soccer teams due to COVID-19
Charlotte's expansion, as well as St. Louis and Sacramento's, pulled back a year each. Austin will still debut next year.
Charlotte's expansion, as well as St. Louis and Sacramento's, pulled back a year each. Austin will still debut next year.
DaveG
Noted Jerk
Officially announced as Charlotte FC, and going with the CLT abbreviation... Let the Jay and Silent Bob memes commence.
HisIceness
This is Hurricanes Hockey
Mightygoose
Registered User
The creative team pulled off many all nighters together to come up with that name 
…..they'll fit right in
…..they'll fit right in
HisIceness
This is Hurricanes Hockey
What amuses me about this is even the other teams here don't use 'CLT' as their abbreviation. Hornets/Checkers/Knights/Eagles all use 'CHA'.
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