Minnesota Stars FC Has New Ownership

The North American Soccer League announced this afternoon that the league has reached an agreement with a local Minnesota-based ownership group to take over the Stars for the 2013 season. The new ownership group was discussed at the NASL  Board of Governors meeting last weekend and the sale was ratified by a vote today.

“We cannot overstate how delighted we are at this outcome,” said NASL Commissioner David Downs.  “The team has represented Minnesota in NASL play in extraordinary fashion over the past two years despite the lack of local owners, and now we believe this will give the Stars the foundation needed to flourish for years to come,” he added.  “As of today we now have local owners for the team who are clearly committed and dedicated to promoting soccer as an integral part of the community.”

Here is the full statement from the NASL:

IAMI (November 2, 2012) – The North American Soccer League announced today that an agreement has been reached in principle with a local Minnesota-based ownership group that will enable the Minnesota Stars FC, the 2011 NASL Champions and this season’s runners-up, to play in the league in the spring and fall championship seasons next year.  The deal was ratified by a vote of the NASL’s Board of Governors held today.

For the past two years the Minnesota Stars have been owned and operated on a year-to-year basis by the NASL, with its remaining members funding any financial burden incurred by the team, while the league sought an ownership group from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to take full control of the team.

“We cannot overstate how delighted we are at this outcome,” said NASL Commissioner David Downs.  “The team has represented Minnesota in NASL play in extraordinary fashion over the past two years despite the lack of local owners, and now we believe this will give the Stars the foundation needed to flourish for years to come,” he added.  “As of today we now have local owners for the team who are clearly committed and dedicated to promoting soccer as an integral part of the community.”

The agreement will mean that professional soccer will return to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for the 24^th consecutive year, dating back to the Minnesota Thunder of the APSL in 1990.

More information regarding the Minnesota Stars’ 2013 schedule, venue and season ticket prices is expected to be released by the club in the next 2-3 weeks.  The team intends to hold a press conference next week in Minneapolis to announce more details about the ownership group and the team’s future