Do the Vancouver Whitecaps have a 'done deal' to run BC Place?
Have the Vancouver Whitecaps just been saved?
That’s what a new bombshell report from respected local soccer reporter Michael McColl seems to indicate.
Speaking on Friday’s edition of his subscriber-only AFTN podcast, McColl said that he has been told by three different sources that a deal is done with the BC government to have the Whitecaps run BC Place for the next five years. He expects an official announcement to come next week.
“What I’ve been told is, for days now, the BC government has signed a deal to allow the Whitecaps to operate BC Place for five years, and they’ll review it after that with a chance to renew for another five years,” McColl said. “I’ve been led to believe it’s a done deal, everything’s signed. I trust the sources that have told me that.”
Attendance has been up ever since Thomas Müller arrived last summer. (@WhitecapsFC/X)
McColl did add that Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster has denied that anything had been signed. Schuster also denied the report when speaking with Daily Hive’s Whitecaps reporter Har Johal.
Daily Hive has reached out to PR representing the Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, PavCo and the BC government for more information. The Whitecaps have since released a statement.
“Vancouver Whitecaps FC has not reached a new or different agreement with the Province of British Columbia regarding BC Place. At this time, we have nothing new to report other than that discussions on the matter have taken place, and the club is waiting for information on key details,” the Whitecaps said.
“We continue to work on long-term solutions and will provide further updates when there is something to share.”
BC Place has reportedly been a money-loser for PavCo, which is the Crown corporation that currently operates the stadium. The hope is that private enterprise can turn a profit.
The “Save the Caps” movement kicked into high gear in 2026. (Simon Fearn/Imagn Images)
When MLS Commissioner Don Garber met with reporters in Vancouver last November, he seemed to hint at this kind of an arrangement.
“This just requires a different vision and a different way to go about thinking about what a path forward can be,” Garber said at the time.
“The building has never sold a title sponsor. We’ll take that over in a heartbeat. We’re good at that; we have to be. We’ll take over the commercial operations and sell sponsorships if we’re given the opportunity. I think the club would be great at that.”
There are many examples in North America of publicly owned stadiums that are operated by the teams that play in them. A Canadian comparable can be found in Toronto, where BMO Field is owned by the City of Toronto but operated by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (owner of Toronto FC).
The hope for Whitecaps fans is that this move can save the team, securing a future in Vancouver after 20 months of uncertainty.
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