Las Vegas buyer submits bid for Whitecaps amid potential MLS relocation from Vancouver
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- MLS has received a formal offer from Grant Gustavson, a Las Vegas-based investor and heir to a billionaire family, to buy the Vancouver Whitecaps with plans to relocate the team to Las Vegas.
- Gustavson's group has pledged to privately finance the purchase and build a soccer-specific stadium in Las Vegas, while potentially using an alternate venue during construction.
- The potential move has sparked a "Save The Caps" fan movement in Vancouver, prompting discussions between the city, province, and MLS to find ways to keep the team local.
- The Whitecaps organization cited ongoing structural challenges with stadium economics and revenue in Vancouver, noting no viable local ownership offers have emerged despite extensive outreach.
- Vancouver officials, including Mayor Ken Sim and British Columbia Premier David Eby, have publicly urged collaboration to retain the team, emphasizing the importance of local support and government involvement.
