Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said on Tuesday that he and Arthur Blank are still discussing a possible expansion franchise coming to Atlanta.
Garber said if they can resolve the discussion, Atlanta could become the next expansion franchise.
“I am encouraged by the discussions,” he said.
The only detail that Garber would provide is that Blank is still trying to decide if owning a Major League Soccer makes sense for him. MLS expansion fees have risen to between $50 and $100 million dollars in the past few years. Teams in the league must also have developmental academies and training centers, which also involve financial commitments on top of the actual costs of running the team itself.
Additionally, Blank and the Falcons are paying for a portion of the $1.2 billion stadium that is being built adjacent to the Georgia Dome. The new stadium is scheduled to open in 2017 and Blank and MLS have discussed opening the facility with a soccer game.
Garber said Miami, which is being led by David Beckham, could become the third to join, but didn’t seem positive that it would happen soon.
Orlando City was announced as the newest expansion franchise last month. It will begin play in 2015 as the league’s 21st club.
Garber has said numerous times that he wants Major League Soccer to have 24 teams by 2020.
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