"Major League Soccer may be the next professional sports league to relocate a team to Las Vegas, with an investment group led by Grant Gustavson seeking to buy the financially troubled Vancouver Whitecaps and move them to a new stadium near the Las Vegas Strip. Gustavson, 30, a Las Vegas resident and USC graduate with deep ties to the school's athletic program, last week submitted a formal offer to the league to purchase the team, which has been up for sale for 16 months."
"“We are a world-class football town,” David Eby, the premier of British Columbia, said in a video posted on social media. “Losing the Whitecaps is not an option.” However, it's hard to see how the team, an MLS Cup finalist a year ago and the second-best club in MLS again this season, can afford to stay in Canada under the current circumstances. The Whitecaps have reportedly lost more than $300 million since joining MLS 15 years ago and they are forecast to lose as much as $45 million this season."
"Additionally, they may have no place to play next season since their lease at BC Place, a 54,000-seat football stadium, expires at the end of the year. The team's current ownership group is led by Greg Kerfoot, a Vancouver-based software billionaire who bought the team in 2002, nine years before the Whitecaps joined MLS. Kerfoot has expressed a desire to keep the team in Vancouver, but of the 40 or so potential suitors who have expressed interest in buying the club, most have turned away after taking a look at the team's finances."
"“Everybody's like 'this is a bad business model. We're not interested',” said a person with knowledge of the talks who is not authorized to discuss them publicly. “If somebody can find that white knight to keep the"
An investment group led by Grant Gustavson has submitted an offer to purchase the financially troubled Vancouver Whitecaps and relocate them to a new stadium near the Las Vegas Strip. Vancouver leadership has opposed the move, emphasizing the city’s status as a major football community and stating that losing the team is not an option. The Whitecaps’ financial outlook is severe, with reported losses exceeding $300 million since joining MLS and forecasts of up to $45 million in losses this season. The team also faces a potential venue problem because its lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year. Many potential buyers have reportedly backed away after reviewing the club’s finances.
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