Indianapolis eyes MLS expansion bid: Why Indy? Why now?

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis plans to submit a bid for an expansion Major League Soccer team.

None of this will be as simple as that sentence you just read.

There's an entire process for getting approval on construction of a new stadium that must be completed by June 30. Once that hurdle is cleared, the city and prospective ownership group submit an expansion application to the MLS and begin that phase of the process, which would potentially culminate with a vote by the MLS Board of Governors.

More: Indianapolis wants an MLS team, here's how the expansion process works

It's a long, expensive process with no guarantees of success. In fact, Indy Eleven submitted a bid to join MLS in January 2017, but it failed to make the cut, being passed over for Detroit, Cincinnati, Nashville and Sacramento. That means most MLS executives are already familiar with the Indianapolis market, but it's also a reminder that nothing in this process is guaranteed. Las Vegas, for instance, has had six or seven different potential ownership groups and stadium plans over the past 15 years.

Commissioner Don Garber's past comments should also be taken into account.

"We never say never to anything because, you know, our plan evolves as the market evolves," he told ESPN following the addition of San Diego as the 30th club last May. "(But) I don't think sitting here today that we have any plan in the near future to go beyond 30 teams. … Who knows what the future looks like after (2026), but nothing in the immediate future for sure."

However, 32 is the magic number for the other major North American sports leagues and mayor Joe Hogsett came away from his meeting with Garber earlier this week confident enough to submit a proposal for the creation of a new professional sports development area (a downtown soccer stadium).

So, why Indy and why now?

It helps that Indy took part in this process seven years ago. League executives are familiar with the market and the passion for sports at all levels, but particularly at the professional level (see: the city's NFL and NBA franchises, as well as Indianapolis' track record with hosting large-scale events such as NBA All-Star Weekend, Indy 500 and the Super Bowl).

More: Indianapolis plans to pursue MLS expansion team, raising questions on Indy Eleven future

The city is very marketable to corporate sponsors and has strong support from government officials — the city already has a comprehensive plan for a soccer-only stadium — and has a prospective ownership group that's eager to invest in the infrastructure. That group is reportedly led by Tom Glick, who was previously president of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and MLS’ Charlotte FC, which launched in 2022.

There's also geography. An Indianapolis MLS team would have four built-in regional rivals upon entering the league with St. Louis to the west, Chicago to the north, Cincinnati to the east and Nashville to the south. (The success of Nashville, which averages 30,000 fans per game, also figures to work in Indy's favor.)

As for the timing, MLS is preparing to launch its 30th club — San Diego Football Club — in 2025. Even if plans for expansion aren't "imminent," it will still take years to build a stadium and establish a team in Indianapolis (and potentially Las Vegas or another city if the league opts to move immediately to 32 teams).

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Indianapolis would consider Major League Soccer expansion team now