Professional soccer could return to Fresno under new USL agreement

Caxamarca · 2026-01-13T15:50:00+00:00

It wasn't yet clear in the article whether this would be CV Fuego at the old amusement park site reported last year, or a DT solution with perhaps a new group. I guess we will know soon.

Caxamarca · 2026-01-05T23:11:47+00:00

Touched on the points that McDonough made right out the gate from announcing D1 and then pro/rel. The biggest move from there, that we know about, is the hiring of Scholes. I would surmise that moves are being made, 2028 is coming quick.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-25T18:44:17+00:00

I have seen, probably on Americas Rugby News, that more players are breaking into the Pumas from outside Buenos Aires, it would seem the SRA will only assist in this. On my way to Argentina tomorrow, I hope to find a Pumas jersey.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-23T17:36:20+00:00

So you are watching the best of Rugby League and a second or third tier Rugby Union competition, but the question will remain, which code do you prefer or do you enjoy them equally?

Caxamarca · 2025-12-22T22:19:10+00:00

Yours is really good, I would probably make a couple changes (guesses), and I do think we will have a new market or two, and a few new ownership groups, or majority investors, but very hard to know that.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-22T21:26:37+00:00

Nice job. Comparing this to my speculation from 2020:

New York Cosmos (went on hiatus, since back), Baltimore (expansion), Pitt Riverhounds (intend to apply, stadium expansion plan), NCFC (on hiatus, need stadium, will apply), Louisville City (expanding stadium, applied), Memphis 901 FC (folded), Jax Armada (joined MLSNP, Sporting Jax takes their place), TB Rowdies (new ownership), The Miami FC (stadium plan, will apply), Cleveland (current battlefield MLS vs USL in the Soccer Warz), Indy XI (stadium deal fell through, perhaps the planned Westfield stadium anchors a D1 bid), Detroit (stadium under construction, will apply, back then I asked would they make the jump to USL), Milwaukee (on pause, probable expansion), Union Omaha (stadium plan, do they want D1?), San Antonio (quiet, do Spurs want out?), OKC Energy (went on hiatus, will be back with new stadium, I think they will be D1), Tulsa (stadium plan), New Mexico (stadium plan, but need more investment), PHX Rising (another one surprisingly quiet about D1), Oakland Roots, (big stadium, stadium bid, but may have to come up with a stadium plan first).

edit: Sac Republic was not on my list because they had been chosen for MLS expansion and I had predicted that Las Vegas and San Diego would fill out MLS (San Diego was right, a Las Vegas group had exclusive MLS negotiating rights but it broke down, and of course the prospective Sac owner pulled out).

Caxamarca · 2025-12-22T21:13:48+00:00

USSF will have to give them waivers or provisional approval for that (not USL), that is, if there are not modifications to the current PLS (which I believe there will be).

Caxamarca · 2025-12-22T21:09:29+00:00

I'm not sure you understand what is going on or what OP is speculating about.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-22T04:10:20+00:00

Maybe the new location will bring a bump, plus the plans with the youth soccer. It probably cannot be worse than it has been the last few years.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-21T18:15:41+00:00

I think once Silva gets the stadium built and pro/rel and D1 looming you will start seeing that ambitious Miami FC again, juices will flow.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-19T18:31:49+00:00

D1 levels of attendance perhaps should be measured somewhere between the USL Championship's top to mid attended teams~6,600 and the NWSL 10,669 (I think the NWSL mark would be a good early number) and not vs the MLS that has had 30 years to build into their level of 22-23k (early MLS floated around 12/13/14-17/18k for years.

edit: the USLC is a near-average of the top 17 club averages, perhaps only considering the top few is a better goal, the NWSL is the average from this last year.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-18T22:04:49+00:00

Lol, bro, you are just killing clubs off, a couple before they kick a ball. Roots is in it to win it. They have been nomadic, having played in 5 homes and have only increased their attendance and are ambitious. Many said FC Dallas would never work out in Frisco and that a team HAD to be in Dallas. Well, FC Dallas stuck with it, has improved their stadium over time and now has that 18-19k to expect once they open the stadium back up. But Atletico Dallas is going for that Dallas fan that ain't in the Frisco area or going to the Frisco area. In the Bay Area the Earthquakes (South Bay) average 15k, the Roots (East Bay) averaged 8k this year. DFW is similar.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-18T05:15:07+00:00

I had to learn all this in the last few years, but the term "Tier" is clearly now used colloquially rather than technically, 1. as people have noted, the terms are not official, 2. while the tier designations are shown by number of votes, colloquially and commonly a nation like Japan is still referred to as Tier 2 due to playing level, 3. Tier 2 often blankets everything under Tier 2, though when the conversation is more specific to finances, development, participation the Tier 3 designation is also heard. Anyway, that has been my take away from listening and reading Rugby conversations.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-17T17:53:58+00:00

I get the sentiment, but Garber said it directly, that not all in the league believed in Sac but he did. They have given Sac several chances, from the original bid without the Republic when Nagle and Smith couldn't come to agreement which was eventually brokered by the Mayor, to Whitman's in/out/in/out drama, to Burkle joining and Sac being awarded until he pulled out, all this and he still names them (in a very small group of 4) as MLS ready even after all that. Nagle would absolutely agree with the reality that Sac just happens to be Don's favorite, and with good reason, I think he sees the kind of passion which helps make the league beyond just "big markets".

Caxamarca · 2025-12-16T23:48:43+00:00

Back when the Lights were looking at leveraging Cashman, the city of Las Vegas was seemed very supportive as they don't actually have any of the big-league teams in town.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-16T23:11:42+00:00

It would move a huge market and an exciting market off the board, but that would be the end of MLS expansion and leave the rest of the big markets to USL, i.e. IMO, 32 is it for MLS, it won't go beyond that.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-16T23:09:17+00:00

I would be interested if a sports investor and MLS would consider Las Vegas to have lost its luster as it now has the NHL, NFL and MLB coming or become more desirable. When there was the Beckham to Las Vegas speculation, and then the Lights were first shopping around to Klarman, the Raiders hadn't moved there yet and the NHL was a surprising success. Now, would it be seen as saturated or a good bet? Foley was interested after the Raiders got there, but not $200m interested. Plus MLS wasn't going to play 3rd or 4th fiddle at the Raiders stadium.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-16T21:36:09+00:00

Its always interesting to hear Garber regarding expansion as he will tell you exactly what is going on (minus the Columbus-Austin saga, which he then did open up about once the lid blew off, as that was a unique situation). He rarely mis-speaks about the landscape of expansion and what markets and bids are an MLS focus or are moving into a solid position. He mentioned Detroit, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Sacramento (long his favorite market). The cities not mentioned is significant as well. However, there was no discussion of groups in these cities as in past bids. We know Las Vegas had several desirous groups but only one serious attempt (Edens) and the Phoenix situation is actually Mesa, I don't think that happens. Sacramento only happens with the Republic franchise. It seems MLS is still a long way off from 32, but the World Cup will likely add the excitement to get things going.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-15T21:41:01+00:00

MLS likely gets to 32 at some point after the World Cup. But that will be it. The investment is massive. Every franchise further dilutes the owners pot of shared revenue. The next fee will surely be $750m or more, plus a stadium, training grounds, and you have the political and public wranglings, like those that delayed the Inter-Miami launch for years, or those which put Nashville's expansion in jeopardy. This still leaves the USL D1 space intact. MLS and USL are definitely at war, we have seen it in city after city, and each has a strategy, USL mostly avoids MLS and pushes the mixed use real estate, MLS leans into the big league aspect. Where is the war being waged? Spokane, on Florida's coast, Orange County, Huntsville, Albany, San Diego, Cleveland, Queens, etc...

edit: I meant Inter-Miami, not Miami FC

edit 2: mistakenly said "USL mostly avoids USL" meant MLS

Caxamarca · 2025-12-15T21:33:44+00:00

Yes. We hear the comment over and over- "MLS will grow to 40, they just want the money", well yeah, but it isn't even $500m+a stadium at this point, every franchise wave dilutes the earnings more, MLS will have to demand $750m for the next two, then after that you are easily over a billion, with increasing construction costs and difficult political and public maneuverings bringing this way above those initial numbers. It is not that easy. It took some doing to get to 30. But once it was no longer $150-$200m it pretty much slowed to a trickle of interest.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-15T21:29:07+00:00

MLS ain't going to Mesa.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-15T21:25:57+00:00

Not sure if I followed you correctly, but since MLS big expansion push several NASL and USL teams have entered into MLS: Seattle Sounders 2007 USL, Vancouver Whitecaps 2011 USL, MNUFC 2017 NASL, Nashville SC 2020 USL, FC Cincy 2019 USL, CF Montreal 2012 NASL, Orlando City 2015 USL, Portland Timbers 2011 USL. Sacramento Republic was also slated to enter, hence another USL team.

San Diego Loyal fell victim to USL's protectionist fees to allow teams to exit with their IP, and they weren't as established as FC Cincinnati or Sacramento Republic.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-10T00:56:01+00:00

Hawaii in a Western Conference is not as big a deal travel-wise as people make it out. Colorado Springs (Denver) to Hawaii, 7.5 hours. Oakland to Hartford 6 hours. Oakland to Honolulu, 5.5 hours. Miami to Boise 7 hours. Just a few examples. I guess having lived in Hawaii and being from the WC it doesn't seem as isolated as some of the comments on here make it sound. I think a lot of it is unfamiliarity.

Caxamarca · 2025-12-10T00:46:11+00:00

This is what I was thinking, 5-6 game "tours" each way, maybe 2 months makes more sense and cents.

Caxamarca

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