Update (April 12)
Sacramento Republic FC unveiled the details of Commissioner Garber's visit on Thursday, releasing the full itinerary and announcing that the city will close a section of a downtown street for an "MLS Block Party" held to celebrate his visit.
Full details of the day and the block party, which will include a fan Q&A with Garber, can be found here.
Original Text (March 31)
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott will visit Sacramento Republic FC on April 14 to discuss the club's proposal for joining MLS as an expansion team, the league and club announced on Thursday.
Garber and Abbott will meet with Republic managing partner Kevin Nagle and tour the proposed site for a new soccer stadium in the city’s Railyards area.
“MLS Commissioner Don Garber is looking forward to visiting Sacramento on April 14 and discussing Sacramento Republic FC’s proposal to join MLS as an expansion club,” read a league statement. “During the trip, Commissioner Garber will meet with Sacramento Republic FC owner Kevin Nagle and tour the proposed site for a new soccer stadium in the Railyards development.”
“We are thrilled and honored by the opportunity to host Commissioner Garber and Deputy Commissioner Abbott and take another important step forward in our pursuit of an MLS club. As I’ve told the Commissioner in the past, when it comes to the passion of our fans and the commitment of our community, you truly have to see it to believe it. We look forward to hosting the Commissioner and showing him first hand why Sacramento is ready for MLS.”
MLS announced in December that it plans to expand to 28 teams in the future. A total of 20 teams currently play in MLS, with three more – Atlanta, Minnesota and LAFC – scheduled to join the league in the coming years.
Sacramento is one of several cities, including Miami, St. Louis and San Antonio, that have been mentioned as a potential candidate for MLS expansion.
The 2014 USL champions, Sacramento Republic FC have plans to construct a privately financed, $226 million stadium in the city’s Railyards district should they make the move to MLS.
The Sacramento City Council in November approved a non-binding preliminary term sheet for the project, which serves as a good faith agreement between the city and the club to move forward with development of the stadium if MLS awards an expansion team to Republic FC's ownership group.
