Minnesota Becomes Hub of TOA/USL Debate
National Sports Center Confirms Move to Create New Pro Soccer Team in Minnesota
Last Friday, Inside Minnesota Soccer reported that the National Sports Center (NSC) and the United Soccer Leagues (USL) would announce early this week that the NSC would become the newest USL-1 team replacing the Minnesota Thunder.
USL President Tim Holt spoke to IMS and did not confirm the story but did say the USL believes in the Twin Cities as a strong USL-1 market.
Last weekend IMS spoke to Paul Erickson, Executive Director of the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC), an organization that oversees the National Sports Center (NSC). Erickson confirmed that the NSC was moving forward in starting a pro soccer team that would play at the National Sports Center. He told IMS that the NSC was in the due diligence stage of purchasing a USL-1 team.
IMS has learned today that these plans have been temporarily put on hold, but that Minnesota has now become the hub of the Team Owners Association/United Soccer League debate.
Erickson told IMS today that after reaching a tentative agreement for a USL-1 franchise last week, the NSC has withdrawn their request with the USL. He also said that the NSC has contractual obligations with the Minnesota Thunder that will require a minimum of 30 days to resolve.
“We remain committed to preserving high level soccer for Minnesota,” said Erickson. “We have a high amount of interest in the option where the team is primarily owned by the NSC with private partnerships.”
The National Sports Center had received numerous calls from advocates of both the USL and TOA and Erickson said that the NSC officials had no desire to be in the middle of this national controversy.
“This 30 day period will allow us to focus on our goal to preserve a team for Minnesota and our facility,” said Erickson. “We are open to numerous possibilities after the national controversy is settled.”
This news comes just as the United Soccer Leagues started their Annual General Meetings that kicked off today in Tampa, Florida. Normally the USL-1 teams sit down and hammer out a schedule for the upcoming season at the AGM’s. This year, with the uncertainty surrounding numerous teams that were formerly involved with the USL and are now aligned with the TOA, the league may be forced to delay final schedules until the details of who will be involved in the league are finally hammered out.
The USL have lost 5 teams from last year’s league to the TOA and one team due to their sale. Currently there are 5 teams remaining from last year’s USL-1 season. Austin, Charleston, Portland, Puerto Rico and Rochester, with expansion teams of Tampa and New York bringing the league to 7.
Cleveland is said to be changing ownership and may drop back down to USL-2 this coming season.
Tampa has said they are supportive of the TOA but don’t wish for legal trouble so will play with the USL for the 2010 season.
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That looks like two leagues that only have 75% of what they need.
Quoting the first paragraph:
“Last Friday, Inside Minnesota Soccer reported that the National Sports Center (NSC) and the United Soccer Leagues (USL) would announce early this week that the Minnesota Thunder would become the newest USL-1 team replacing the Minnesota Thunder.”
Unless you have made a massive editorial mistake in the above paragraph or the previous article you refer to, last Friday you made no such announcement. In specific, you did not say that the MINNESOTA THUNDER would become the USL-1 team replacing the MINNESOTA THUNDER.
This paints a wholly different, if incomplete, picture as to the nature of the backroom negotiations involved. [Commentor's Note: I understand the circumstances that prevent you from completing the picture at this time, and harbor no ill will about it.]
Also, if you can possibly clear this up, could you tell us EXACTLY who will own this new USL-1 team along side the private investors; the National Sports Center (which is as far as I understand from various legal documents is simply the name of the facility), the National Sports Center FOUNDATION (which is the federally tax exempt, non-profit corporation created by the MASC to operate the facility) or the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission itself (which was created by the Minnesota State Legislature to promote sports in Minnesota and oversee the running of various state owned sports facilities and whose members are selected by various branches of the state government)? Whichever answer is the correct one presents numerous questions that could affect the very viability of the franchise.
Don’t get me wrong, I am very greatful for your coverage, which has been miles better than anyone else’s. But any clarification of the above would be greatly appreciated.
Massive editorial mistake that this very tired and overly stressed old man made. Its been a hell of a week personally. So I screwed that up. You can always email me on something like that if you know I’ve screwed up. Its fixed now. Sorry for the confusion.
Your explanation is in the follow up which of course because its a blog is above this article.
I think the NSC has the upper hand no matter the outcome of USL vs TOA: The Throwdown. It is a real win for Minnesota soccer, plus I bet they get a ticket taker at the north gate.
NSC will be challenged in running a successful franchise. They will run into the same issues MTA-Thunder had, once they try to start their own camps and youth systems. Large CC will stay away from tournaments, games, promotion, and MYSA probably won’t cooperate. It was stated that the NSC has been in the black for 20 years. The tax payers might also ask how they can be in the black this year if the Thuder really owe them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Few non profits have pockets deep enough to erase a 500K bad debt.
Once this is mixed with private ownership, conflict of interest will abound. All issues the USL should try to steer clear of, less they create another situation like the current one.
Don’t get me wrong, I hope USL returns/stays in MN, but see more dark clouds on the horizon with a public/private partnership with a public side that couldn’t run an NPSL team.
500 K is an incorrect figure in what the Thunder owe the NSC. It’s smaller than than – quite a bit smaller.
Again as the article states, I think running a NPSL team that was sort of an Alan Merrick thing and not as much of an NSC thing is like comparing apples and oranges and is a non-starter in my opinion. Your other points are very valid arguments.
Were do people keep getting these horribly incorrect figures and data about the nsc/thunder/nonprofit regulations?
I feel like I am watching Fox News covering the DNC convention. Never before have I seen people so affraid of a slam-dunk proposition to keep pro soccer alive in this community. Where these same naysayers 20 years ago when peeps were meeting at SPA about the Thunder (one of the longest running professional soccer teams in US history )? My guess is you folks would have cried wolf then too.
SR, it could be fairly pointed out that you have been extremely positive on every development that has taken place since things started happening. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but you have posted no skepticism about any development in the entire process, despite its many different twists and turns.
Your sunny disposition works great for you, I’m sure. But please don’t slam the people who are nervous about all of this. It’s still an incredibly ambitious undertaking.
And Zlatan, you’re gawd damned right there are Dark Clouds on the horizon. We aren’t going anywhere!
Ya, was going to address that before. If you didn’t know, the Thunder supporters group is called the Dark Clouds.
Pat-
My extremely sunny disposition is based in reality and fact. The NSC has proven to be a well-run organization and owner of facilities that are ready for Second Division soccer. The naysayers are basing their arguments on heresay ($500,000 debt owed to the NSC by the Thunder), uneducated thoughts (The NSC can’t own a non-profit soccer team due to public ownership of the MASC etc…) and youth soccer bias (NSC must/can’t have link to MYSA as it will/won’t fail soccer in Minnesota).
Where are the facts that prove the NSC can not and will not be able to save professional soccer in Minnesota?
What I see is a recipe for success as has been proven through the existence of the NSC.
I just don’t get the consistent negative attitudes for any type of change, especially when it is based on rumors, innuendo and bias.
Superrookie – Are you serious? You honestly can’t see the difference between skepticism and “consistent negative attitudes”? Let’s be honest here – running a soccer team in the US is tough. For anyone. And the NSC, for all the success they have had in various ventures, has not run a professional team of any kind before. So – will they be able to do it successfully? It’s certainly possible. But it’s also possible it won’t work, for any number of reasons that people have mentioned here and elsewhere. Pointing that out is not being a “naysayer”, it’s being realistic.
The idea that anything in this whole fiasco is a “slam-dunk proposition” is ridiculous.
I am serious and dont you dare call me Shirley.
SR,
Lep articulated my thoughts exactly. I’m not tearing it down, but I’m certainly not 100% confident.
If you have the time, I could tell you a tale about an international real estate magnate that took over a little soccer team in Minnesota…
Was it the shoes?
Ok, I was guessing at 500K. Not trying to be a nay-sayer. I want top level professional soccer in MN. I just don’t think that a public run organization, that is only in the black because they have such a large volunteer base (and they are chartered to do so), can successfully navigate the for-profit sports scene in the US. And regardless of what NSC management says, they were part of the failed NPSL fiasco.
But frankly, the previous owners of the Thunder were not able to balance winning, with profit. 3 owners ago, was primarily a love afair with the game, pouring personal money into a paper shredder. Buz made it go, nothing else. 2 owners ago, was a disaster…enough said. And finaly the recent ownership had no idea what they were doing (nor did their management team…Austin is in for a surprise.) Loosing their primary revenue generator (MYSA relationship) by a failed branding exercise with a youth academy.
Something will settle out of all of this. I’m sure semi-pro soccer will be available somewhere in MN next summer. I’m confident that it won’t last, as the two possible options discussed are sure to fail.
Thanks BQ for all of your hardwork to keep the MN soccer fans informed. You do a great job!
…and the Timbers are to be moving up soon…?
Read the todays report Q. From what I’ve heard, Mr. Paulson, the owner of the Timbers may not have a very good relationship with some of the folks in the TOA. They are staying put, but…if Rochester is to move, then they may be forced to, even though they only have one more year in the USL before going MLS.