Six groups are interested in moving Vancouver Whitecaps to another city: report
It’s been a dream season for the Vancouver Whitecaps, but their situation at BC Place has become a nightmare.
And if their stadium situation isn’t rectified, they’re at risk of moving to another city.
Six cities are reportedly interested in the MLS franchise if the Whitecaps are forced to relocate.
The Athletic reports that Detroit, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Indianapolis and Edmonton are “monitoring the situation in Vancouver with interest,” and that representatives from two of those cities attended the Whitecaps’ dramatic Western Conference Semifinal win over LAFC.
The Whitecaps need a formally approved stadium solution by the end of 2026 to avoid relocation, according to The Athletic.
Detroit previously submitted an MLS expansion bid back in 2017. That bid fell through when plans to build a new stadium collapsed.
Sacramento was awarded a team back in 2019, but the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted its primary investor to withdraw his bid.
A “serious potential investor” was in attendance for the Whitecaps’ win against LAFC, according to Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston, and others have shown interest.
Even though attendance for Whitecaps games has ramped up, the MLS franchise isn’t seeing many of those profits. Sources told Daily Hive back in November that the Whitecaps take home less than 20 per cent of all net food and beverage revenue on a match day at BC Place.
MLS commissioner Don Garber has said that the Whitecaps rank near the bottom of the league in terms of revenue.
The Whitecaps don’t currently have a lease with BC Place for next season.
In August, the club issued a statement announcing the exploration of building a stadium at Hastings Park, where the PNE Fairgrounds are located.
âWe are all big supporters of the Whitecaps, and we would love to see the Whitecaps remain in Vancouver,” Mayor Ken Sim said back in August. “As a city, we will do anything that we can to help that.”
However, nothing formal has been announced as pending deadlines for the Whitecaps loom.
The team announced almost a year ago that they were seeking a new owner, but no substantive progress has been made.
All of this drama rears its ugly head for Whitecaps fans as the team gets set to play its biggest match in franchise history on Saturday, when they battle Lionel Messi and Inter Miami FC for the MLS Cup.