With Crew SC’s future in Columbus beyond 2018 hanging in the balance, the Major League Soccer team’s investor-operator said Tuesday that no decision on a move has been made yet.
“This is just an announcement that we are exploring our options,” Anthony Precourt said. “No relocation decision has been made.”
Precourt Sports Ventures, the Crew’s ownership group since 2013, announced Tuesday that it is “exploring strategic options” to ensure the club’s long-term viability in MLS, a strategy that will move forward with one of two options: remaining in Columbus at a new, Downtown stadium or relocating the franchise to Austin, Texas.
That announcement, preceded by a Dispatch story Tuesday morning revealing the possible move, prompted what Precourt perceived to be a few “misrepresentations.”
Precourt, who will be in Austin on Wednesday, said he and his ownership group are not seeking public tax dollars to build a stadium in Columbus or Austin. He also downplayed the nature of investment deals presented to Precourt Sports Ventures, adding, “No investor in Columbus presented a serious offer to invest in the club while the team plays at Mapfre Stadium.”
No matter what, Crew SC will play at Mapfre Stadium in 2018, but the key to keeping the franchise in Columbus beyond that is construction of a Downtown, soccer-specific stadium..
Asked if Crew SC staying put requires a Downtown stadium, Precourt replied, “Yes. Whether that’s Franklinton or Arena District or Downtown, yes.”
Austin’s viability as a market also would require a league-approved stadium site. Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a statement Tuesday that an MLS team would find support in Austin but that there would not be support for a publicly funded stadium.
Alex Fischer of the Columbus Partnership said the group of business leaders had approached Precourt with offers to buy Crew SC outright or to go into a 50-50 partnership, both of which were rejected by Precourt.
“I have met with the owner and business partners of Crew SC, and shared our thoughts on ways to find the best solutions to keep the team in Columbus. Unfortunately, we did not receive full engagement from the team’s ownership,” Ginther said in a statement. “We were surprised to learn of their decision in this way. Losing the Crew to another city would be a huge disappointment to their loyal and growing fan base in Columbus.”
Asked why city officials seemed to have been left in the dark regarding Tuesday’s announcement, Precourt called that a misrepresentation.
“I have been very clear since the start of 2016,” Precourt said. “I raised my hand and expressed our concerns around the health of our business with both public and private leaders in the Columbus community.”
Those concerns relate to attendance and corporate sponsorship struggles in a growing MLS. Crew SC is 20th in MLS with an average attendance of 15,439 this season and had difficulty securing a jersey sponsor for 2017 before signing a three-year deal with Acura in late February.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement that Crew SC is close to the bottom of the league in all business metrics and that Mapfre Stadium is “no longer competitive” relative to other MLS venues.
“The league is very reluctant to allow teams to relocate, but based on these factors, we support PSV’s efforts to explore options outside of Columbus, including Austin, provided they find a suitable stadium location,” Garber said.
Longtime supporter Morgan Hughes, co-host of the ACES Radio Crew SC podcast and an organizer of Crew tifo art projects, said the realist in him is preparing to say goodbye to a team he has supported for years. Hughes said he was unsure of how the team’s uncertainty in Columbus beyond 2018 might impact fan support.
“That’s probably the question, isn’t it?” he said. “I don’t know, I probably have to talk to some of my Browns (supporting) friends to see what the right answer is. There’ll be a lot of everything. You’ll be seeing all the stages of grief live and in real time.”
Caught in the middle Tuesday were Crew SC players, as well as coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter. They chose their words carefully when asked about the possible relocation.
Crew SC, which has clinched a playoff spot, is in the midst of a nine-game unbeaten streak and will play at New York City FC on Sunday in its final game of the regular season.
The news, which was relayed to team leaders Monday night and the rest of the team Tuesday morning, will naturally stir emotion among players, but Berhalter said it would not become a distraction.
"As far as I'm concerned, the focus remains the same. We’re extremely focused on next week’s game and then moving into the playoffs,” Berhalter said. “What I would say is any time you learn of ambition from the club, it’s a good thing, and I take it as a positive.”
Where that ambition carries Crew SC in 2019, Precourt will determine in the coming weeks and months.
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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171018/without-downtown-stadium-crew-likely-to-bid-adieu
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