When will Sacramento’s MLS team play? And will it change its name? Answers to your top questions
The moment has arrived. After five years of attempts, Sacramento has scored its goal of landing a Major League Soccer team.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber told a packed downtown venue late Monday morning that California’s capital city was awarded the 29th franchise in the sport’s top league in the United States and Canada. He said it wasn’t a matter of if, but of when.
“Well folks, ‘when’ is today.’ Your ‘when’ has arrived,“ Garber said.
Now that Sacramento is officially an MLS city, there are questions: When will the team start playing, and where will the new stadium be built?
We collected questions from readers (and you can submit more questions in the form below), and we will answer them here:
When will the MLS team start playing in Sacramento?
All indications point to 2022, when the new stadium in the downtown railyard is scheduled to open.
Sacramento will enter the league simultaneously with the St. Louis franchise.
Where will the new stadium be built?
The proposed venue will be built in the railyard east of Seventh Street and south of B Street. The soccer-specific stadium is expected to seat at least 20,000 and should be completed in 2022, before Republic FC kicks off its MLS campaign.
There are plans to develop land adjacent to the stadium in the railyard to help create a broader business enterprise.
Here’s more on what the stadium will look like:
And here’s a drone flyover of what the site looks like now:
Where can I buy tickets?
Tickets can be secured for the new stadium at mls2sac.com/railyards-stadium or by calling 916-307-6100.
A $50 deposit is required, according to the website.
Will Republic FC change its name?
Short answer: No.
Like FC Cincinnati this year and some others teams in the past that moved up from lower-level leagues, Republic FC is expected to keep its name and logo when it leaves the United Soccer League for MLS.
Who will be Sacramento’s main rivals?
The Sacramento Bee has previously explored this. And it seems Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg agrees.
“Being humble is important, but, this morning, I have texted Mayor Sam Liccardo in San Jose and Mayor Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles expressing my condolences to them on becoming the second-best MLS teams in California,” he said to open his speech Monday at the official announcement.
The Earthquakes are the “obvious choice” in terms of geography, but LAFC could make sense, as well.
Here’s our guide on who to boo: Who will be Republic FC’s primary rival in the MLS? A guide on who to boo
Who is Ron Burkle?
A Beverly Hills billionaire who’s made his money in supermarket chains, Burkle is Republic FC’s lead investor. He has had success in pro sports, as well. During his time in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ ownership, the NHL team has won three Stanley Cup Championships, the most recent in 2017.
He also owns a sports-management agency and is a major investor in Soho House, a string of exclusive hotels and private clubs from West Hollywood to Barcelona.
He was linked to purchasing the Kings from the Maloof family before Vivek Ranadive’s group ultimately made the purchase, so he’s no stranger to Sacramento sports.
How many MLS teams are there?
We’ll get three questions in one here, also answering “How many MLS teams in California?” and “How many expansion teams?”
Currently, there are 24 teams in Major League Soccer, 12 in each conference. That’s quite the increase from the 10 clubs the league opened with 23 years ago. Over the next two years, three more teams will begin play. Once Sacramento and St. Louis enter via expansion in three years, the league will be at 29.
Sacramento will be the fourth team in California, joining the Earthquakes and two Los Angeles teams: the Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club. MLS said earlier this year it plans to reach 30 teams. Two cities reportedly in the hunt for that last spot are Charlotte and Las Vegas.
When will Sacramento get to host the MLS All-Star Game?
This is the hardest question to answer. There’s no set formula to when a city gets to host the league’s midseason game, which since 2005 has pitted a collection of MLS players against a European club such as Juventus (Italy), Manchester United (England) and Real Madrid (Spain).
The “best-guess” answer here is don’t expect it for awhile. Among the reasons:
1. There are three new teams that will start play before Sacramento (and St. Louis) join the league, so it’s likely those teams would be selected first.
2. The game was played in Northern California (at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium) three years ago, so MLS might not want to bring the showcase back to the region so soon.
3. Other more established teams – most notably the Seattle Sounders, who won the MLS Cup in 2016 – have yet to host the game.
This story was originally published October 23, 2019 at 6:43 AM with the headline "When will Sacramento’s MLS team play? And will it change its name? Answers to your top questions."