Columbus Crew SC will need "to see a dramatic change" in attendance and other factors to keep the MLS club from moving to Austin, Texas, owner Anthony Precourt told ESPN FC in an exclusive interview.
Precourt Sports Ventures, the investor/operator of Crew SC, announced on Tuesday that it is has decided to "explore strategic alternatives to ensure the long-term viability of the club."
These consist of either remaining in Columbus contingent on the construction of a new stadium, or relocating the team to Austin, Texas. The plan to concurrently explore stadium options in both cities has the backing of MLS.
Commissioner Don Garber called the situation in Columbus "particularly concerning, and Precourt, the CEO of PSV and chairman of Crew SC, told ESPN FC that a lot needs to change to keep the club in Ohio.
"MLS is enjoying unprecedented growth and our league peers are improving on and off the field, year over year" Precourt said. "So that high-water mark keeps getting higher and higher, and we have an ambition as a club. We want to be one of the standard bearers in MLS, we want to be a successful club on and off the field.
Precourt spoke of how the Crew lags behind mid-market franchises like the Portland Timbers, Sporting Kansas City, and Orlando City in terms of attendance, season ticket holders, sponsorships, and relevancy in the market.
Columbus' average attendance of 15,439 in 2017 currently ranks 20th out of the league's 22 teams and well below the league average of 21,918.
"It's become clear to us that we need a new stadium and a new business model to realize our ambitions of being a top club," he continued. "It's really about keeping up with our peers, having strong ambition, and getting to a world-class, state-of-the-art new soccer stadium."
The Crew's current home of MAPFRE Stadium opened in 1999 as the first soccer-specific venue in the country, thanks to the vision of then-owner Lamar Hunt. It has been witness to several memorable matches, including several World Cup qualifiers between the United States and Mexico.
But Precourt lamented the venue's "antiquated infrastructure" as well as the fact that the area surrounding the stadium isn't a "destination" for fans to enjoy entertainment offerings before or after the game.
He added that a new Columbus stadium must be in a downtown location, though he didn't specify a timeline for when he would make a decision, even though published reports indicate it will happen in time for for the 2019 season.
When asked how a new stadium would be financed, Precourt said it would be done "primarily" with private money. But when asked if that meant more than 50 percent of the financing would come from private sources, Precourt said, "We're not going to get into the specifics of the stadium financing at this time.
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http://www.espnfc.us/club/columbus-crew-sc/183/blog/post/3231560/columbus-crew-sc-chairman-anthony-precourt-opens-up-about-possible-austin-move
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