Indianapolis is officially pursuing an MLS team.
The city announced Thursday that it will make a bid for a Major League Soccer expansion team, potentially jeopardizing plans that are underway to develop Eleven Park.
Here’s what you should know.
How much is the MLS expansion fee?
San Diego FC, which will debut in 2025, paid a report US$500 million fee. Louis City SC debuted in 2023 and paid an expansion fee of US$200 million. Indianapolis officials declined to say how much money would be needed to field the team.
MLS team stadium locations in Indianapolis
Eleven Park, a $1 billion-plus mixed-use development anchored by an Indy Eleven soccer stadium, could potentially house the MLS team. It is being built on Kentucky Avenue near the White River.
Alternatively, a stadium could be built at 355 E. Pearl St., on the site of the downtown helipad.
Who owns Indianapolis’ future MLS team?
City officials have not disclosed who might own the proposed team.
Earlier on Thursday: Keystone accuses Hogsett administration of trying to walk away from Eleven Park deal
What is MLS?
The league was founded in December 1993. There are currently 29 teams. It is the highest level of soccer in the United States. His first season was in 1996, when DC United beat the Los Angeles Galaxy for the inaugural championship.
How big would the MLS stadium in Indianapolis be?
Eleven Park would occupy about 20 acres near Kentucky Avenue. Plans call for it to include a 20,000-seat multi-use stadium that would become the new home of the Indy Eleven football team. It’s unclear what the capacity of a potential stadium at 355 E. Pearl St. would be.
For comparison, Nashville SC plays at Geodis Park, which seats 30,000. FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium seats 26,000.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: MLS in Indianapolis: what to know about applying for major league soccer
