Major League Soccer announced the four cities competing for the next two MLS expansion slots on Wednesday morning.
Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento were chosen as the four finalists with the two future expansion clubs to be announced later this year.
The four cities were selected from a group of 12 markets that included Charlotte, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa/St. Petersburg. The remaining eight markets will still be considered for the following two expansion clubs that will be announced at a later date.
"The leaders of the Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento MLS expansion ownership groups have bold visions and innovative plans for their clubs, stadiums and their involvement in their respective communities," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a league statement. "We are pleased these highly-respected business and sports leaders have been so determined to bring Major League Soccer to their cities. We have been greatly encouraged by the progress that all four of these groups have made and we are looking forward to their presentations."
The four finalists will make formal presentations to Garber and the league's Expansion Committee on Dec. 6 in New York.
The ownership groups from the finalists are listed below:
CINCINNATI
Carl H. Lindner III – Co-CEO of American Financial Group and Owner, Chairman and CEO of FC Cincinnati
Scott Farmer - CEO of Cintas Corporation
DETROIT
Dan Gilbert – Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans, Inc.
Tom Gores – Owner of the Detroit Pistons and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Platinum Equity
NASHVILLE
John Ingram – Chairman of Ingram Industries Inc. and CEO Nashville Soccer Holdings
Wilf Family – owners of the Minnesota Vikings
Turner Family – Managing Partners of MarketStreet Enterprises
SACRAMENTO
Kevin Nagle – Managing Partner of Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings and Minority Owner of the Sacramento Kings
Jed York – CEO of the San Francisco Forty-Niners
Mark Friedman – President of Fulcrum Property Group and Minority Owner of the Sacramento Kings, and other limited partners.
Following the presentations on Dec. 6, a meeting of MLS’s Board of Governors on Dec. 14 in New York City will have additional discussions on expansion with ownership representatives from every MLS club.
