Planned stadium in Des Moines, Iowa

[David Votoupal]

Although the Des Moines Menace play in one of the lower levels of American soccer (USL Premier Development League), they're one of the clubs taking the initiative in building a soccer-specific stadium. Here's the announcement from the club's official website: http://menacesoccer.com/stadium/

and a look at what the stadium will look like: http://www.absolutedsm.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23

Now one thing which struck me was this other discussion surrounding sports teams in Des Moines (which is Iowa's capital and biggest city): http://www.absolutedsm.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=553 in which someone claims that Des Moines could have an MLS team. A nice idea, but what I'm wondering is this. A market the size of the Des Moines metro area would normally be considered "too small" to support a major sports team, at least by US standards. Would the MLS be any different? And would such a move give a massive boost for the game in the USA?

[Jeffles]

It doesn't seem like a major market that TV networks and sponsors would look to. But maybe there is something there we don't see.

On the plus side, this would be one of the few sides from the area playing in a national league. This could attract support from the corporate sector as well as drawing fans.

Good to see some initiative with the new stadium.

[britishspud]

Although the Des Moines Menace play in one of the lower levels of American soccer (USL Premier Development League), they're one of the clubs taking the initiative in building a soccer-specific stadium. Here's the announcement from the club's official website: http://menacesoccer.com/stadium/

and a look at what the stadium will look like: http://www.absolutedsm.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23

Now one thing which struck me was this other discussion surrounding sports teams in Des Moines (which is Iowa's capital and biggest city): http://www.absolutedsm.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=553 in which someone claims that Des Moines could have an MLS team. A nice idea, but what I'm wondering is this. A market the size of the Des Moines metro area would normally be considered "too small" to support a major sports team, at least by US standards. Would the MLS be any different? And would such a move give a massive boost for the game in the USA?

this is excatly the place MLS should be looking,places to small to have a NFL/MLB team...tell the local governmet to build a stadium and the MLS will give them a team....remember, from small acorns grow mighty oak tree's

[David Votoupal]

this is excatly the place MLS should be looking,places to small to have a NFL/MLB team...tell the local governmet to build a stadium and the MLS will give them a team....remember, from small acorns grow mighty oak tree's

Very true, Columbus Crew is a good example- a sizeable city and state capital (albeit halfway between Cleveland and Cincinnati) unrepresented in the major sports leagues, IMHO a very smart move by the MLS. Sizeable cities like Des Moines, Omaha, Wichita, Oklahoma City are currently unrepresented in major comps but would surely rally behind a franchise if one was granted.

But as I said before, because sports culture in America is so different to that of Europe and Australia, market forces and operating costs being factors, makes it much harder for smaller metropolitan centres to accomodate top-level teams. Unless the costs of running a soccer club anywhere are significantly lower (IMO one factor which disadvantages gridiron worldwide against soccer, Union, League, Aussie Rules, etc is that it's more expensive to set up and play), this is something the MLS would have to take into consideration.

The Green Bay Packers in the NFL, however, are an example of what can be achieved in a smaller market and on top of that would be the one NFL team sports fans elsewhere regard as a "real" club with a strong community base and focus.

But if the USA is to develop a bona fide soccer culture, it will have to follow the pattern set elsewhere and draw upon the inherently tribal and territorial nature of the game to succeed. And what better way to do that than to give previously unrepresented cities something to rally around?

[sandyhill]

Good post, David. Interesting that most of the smaller cities you mentioned are in the mid-western 'heartland' region. NCAA football (gridiron) is huge in the mid-west (much more popular than NFL is anywhere). It is also considered as very much part of the local culture and heritage.

However, not all of these cities have major college teams. Often its the even smaller univercity cities that have the big college teams e.g. student town of Lincoln, Nebraska, pop 180,000 is home to Nebraska Cornhuskers - in a 85k stadium thats sold out every game. Its fan base is from the entire state, including nearby Omaha.

I wonder if, in this very traditional, conservative area, there could be a lot of suspicion or even some hostility to the "foreign" game of soccer? (BTW - I don't know the answer to this - just asking the question). Still, is interesting that this doesn't seem to be the case in Des Moines, though by American NFL and NCAA standards, its a very small stadium.

Junior/school soccer participation in USA is now huge - but perhaps not dissimilar to Australia, in that junior partcipation doesn't necessarily guarantee support as an adult of the local professional product (I guess I've been an example of this).

[David Votoupal]

I think you'll find that while you'll always have some people hostile to "foreign" sporting influences, most would be pretty open-minded. America certainly has a large enough market to accomodate most sports in any case.

The MLS has seen expansion and contraction as any of the major sports leagues have, for instance the two Florida franchises were cut at the end of 2001 but Florida could yet have a team. While they also added Real Salt Lake (again, like Columbus a good placement as Utah only had the Utah Jazz) and Chivas USA (basically a US branch of a Mexican club targeting the Hispanic market, and not exactly well-received by many American fans).

Portland, Seattle and especially Rochester are possible candidates, as is Oklahoma City. Rochester in upstate NY is a rare hotbed of passion for the game- they get behind their USL (née A-League) side Raging Rhinos really well, and the only other major league teams near them are in much-maligned Buffalo (the Bills and Sabres). And there's also the Canadian market to think about.