The words of Leo Gomez, Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) Vice President, rang through the air like sweet music to the San Antonio soccer fan’s ears.

“If Alamo Stadium is redeveloped appropriately it would have the basic infrastructure to…upgrade to MLS standards.”

He was not finished.

In announcing that SS&E would be pursuing placing a USL team in Alamo Stadium in the very near future, Gomez added a definitive bit of information for those wondering just how far off the push to MLS might indeed be.

“We would work to grow the market and get to that point sooner rather than later,” Gomez said.

Let’s catch our collective breath for a moment.

It has been a long time since professional soccer could be found in San Antonio.  Back in 1976, the San Antonio Thunder called Alamo Stadium home and were led by Bobby Moore, the captain of the 1966 England squad that won the World Cup.  Let that sink in.  

There were once days when a soccer team in San Antonio played in an intimate, historic 23,000 seat stadium.  There were once days that a soccer team in San Antonio featured prominent members of World Cup squads from the most respected footballing nations on earth.  There were once days…and, thanks to SS&E, there might soon be days like those again.

As we look at 2012 and the possibilities that exist for professional soccer in San Antonio, it is imperative that we are aware of the incredible potential of an SS&E-run team to call our own. 

Local Fit

For a professional soccer franchise to thrive in San Antonio, there will have to be a tremendous “Local Fit”.  San Antonio is unique on the American sports landscape.  The 7^th largest city in America has long been a one-horse town.  The NBA’s Spurs are the cornerstone franchise of SS&E and the cornerstone of the San Antonio sports identity.  And the Spurs own this town.  They also own all other professional sports in this town.  Literally. 

The San Antonio Rampage of the AHL and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA are both products of SS&E are both have become stable, healthy franchises on the San Antonio sports landscape.  So not only does SS&E get the local sports fan, know how to reach the local sports consumer, and know-how to run a local sports franchise…but they know how to sell tickets and field competitive teams. 

The Spurs, Rampage, and Silver Stars ALL draw better than their respective league averages in attendance.  What sustains a professional sports franchise?  Fans.  And who knows how to draw fans, treat fans right, and keep fans coming back for more?  SS&E. 

The SS&E team has more experience in San Antonio sports than all other groups combined.  They have already built the infrastructure of the organization, with ticketing agents, business planners, and managing partners having all been in place for years.  SS&E would simply have to add the 2012 soccer franchise to their already unparalleled plan and watch the results bolster their tremendous track record.

And who could compete?  The SS&E model is proven in San Antonio.  It is impressive. And it should mean great things for a local soccer franchise.

Stadium

 As professional soccer in America continues to grow its popularity, the rise of soccer-specific and soccer-optimized stadiums has taken hold.  A secondary trend has seen the popularity of urban stadiums dwarf that of their suburban brethren. As San Antonio considers where the local boys should ply their trade, a venue of the right size (15,000 – 25,000) and location (urban core) should be top on the list of qualifiers.

Seattle has seen the optimized (and very urban) Qwest Field become the crown jewel of the MLS landscape.  Toronto’s urban soccer-specific BMO Field has become a destination for true soccer aficionados and a guaranteed sellout for every match.

The other side of the coin (and the bottom of the attendance rolls) can be found in Frisco, the gorgeous and tragically empty home of FC Dallas.  Other disappointing locales include stadiums outside of Denver and Boston.  The suburban model has been tried in modern American soccer and has largely been found wanting.

As Houston builds a new stadium, it looks to avoid the geographical mistakes of Dallas and Colorado by placing its new home right in the urban core, across the freeway from MLB’s Minute Maid Park.  New-to-MLS franchises in Portland and Vancouver are also going to be playing in densely-populated areas.

Why all of the talk of urbanity in a soccer column supposedly about SS&E and San Antonio’s MLS future?

While many plans will call for glorified bleachers in a low-density area, the evidence today is that the best hope for a soccer franchise of any level is to place it in an urban area, amidst the condo towers and office buildings.  The best hope is to create a raucous atmosphere, replete with history and universal accessibility. The best hope is perfectly in line with SS&E’s newly-announced plans.

A renovated Alamo Stadium will rival other MLS stadiums in history and charm, not to mention seating capacity and city-wide accessibility.  Fans from all parts of town will be no more than 20 minutes away and the growing River North area (on the redeveloped northern portion of the Riverwalk) and it’s growing pub scene awaits supporters groups with open arms.  

MLS

It is no secret that Major League Soccer has plenty of room to grow.  The top-flight league has been aggressively adding markets in recent years and has another half dozen or so spots before it begins to feel full.  For San Antonio soccer fans, the ideal franchise will be the entity with the most likely ramp into MLS.  Luckily, San Antonio is blessed with SS&E, one of the premier sports and entertainment companies in the country.

The model for MLS inclusion is simple.  A market must be economically viable, contain a sufficient stadium plan, and have an ownership group with deep pockets and a long-term view.  In San Antonio, the MLS has a ready-made star.  And that star has declared their intentions to rise to the highest level of domestic soccer. 

So just how ready for MLS is San Antonio?

• The market is primed. San Antonio is hungry.  The city has ideal demographics (young, diverse, and employed), a sizeable population (metro over 2 million), and virtually no summer sports competition (the Missions are largely an afterthought and the nearest MLB team is in Houston).
• As we outlined above, Alamo Stadium is a dream for MLS, big enough to accommodate the overflow crowds that come to town with the Beckhams and Henrys of the league and yet, due to its age and history, intimate enough to stimulate a incredible atmosphere even when San Jose shows up for a mid-week tilt.
• As ownership groups go, there are few more respected in the world of sports than SS&E.  They have built annual NBA contenders in a small market, found a way to start-up and sustain franchises in the WNBA, NBDL, and AHL, and have the depth of market expertise and pro sports experience to draw the envy of any group.  What’s more, the spread of assets that SS&E maintains means that the overall organization is better positioned to withstand a few years of growing pains and financial losses while the team becomes established, something that a soccer-only owner might struggle under. Shared costs, deep pockets, and the ability to stick with soccer for its long-term potential makes SS&E the ideal MLS owner.

It has been 35 years since San Antonio has seen meaningful professional soccer on its soil.  That will all change soon enough.  As San Antonio entertains multiple options to take the city into the promised land of American soccer, there is a clear choice for the group that will lead the way. SS&E is here and SS&E is ready.

So the push towards MLS in the Alamo City has begun and the destination is not as far away as it once seemed.  San Antonio’s day is coming. 

“Sooner rather than later.”

The opinions expressed in this article are those of Kyle Burkholder, a member and blogger for the Crocketteers. They do not represent any official statement or stance taken by the Crocketteers.

Tags: alamo stadium, Leo Gomez, mls, San Antonio Spurs, USL Pro