Lost and found: Pro soccer in Tampa?

Whether taking in spring training, enjoying a game of Bucs football or watching the Tampa Bay Lightning kick the ice, sports fans in central Florida have a wide variety of options to spend their entertainment dollar.

But despite the presence of virtually every major sports (football, baseball, basketball, hockey) between Tampa and Orlando, pro soccer has never seemed to stick.

Since the demise of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, which regularly drew crowds of 20,000 or more in the late 1970s, the beautiful game has come and gone—with the area most recent incarnation, the Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League soccer, folding in 2002.

All the while, the area has continued to support strong participation at youth levels and burgeoning attendance for international matches (the US Mens National Team drew a crowd of 31,000 for a recent match against Ecuador). So where does the disconnect lie?

For many sports fans, it comes as no surprise that the glory years of the Rowdies came in the midst of a slew of dismal seasons which marred the early existence of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—the Bucs only made the playoffs three times between 1976 and 1990. While the Bucs failed to make the playoffs until 1979, the Rowdies regularly contested for league honors—winning the Soccer Bowl and finishing runners up twice in the late 1970s—and boasted players the caliber of Englishman Rodney Marsch and Argentine scoring sensation Oscar Fabianni.

With the young NFL side still struggling to find it’s identity with fans, watching the Rowdies, a team full of colorful characters, was seen by many fans the in-thing to do.

But with the implosion of the NASL (North American Soccer League) in the early 1980s, the party for soccer was over in Tampa. As the Rowdies struggled and eventually folded, it would be another twelve years before pro soccer made it’s return to Tampa Bay. By the time the oddly named Tampa Bay Mutiny arrived, Tampa had become a football town.

Despite early success on the field, the Mutiny—like the Buccaneers in the 80s—languished in the dreadful confines of Tampa Stadium. With it’s football lines, narrow field and 45,000 capacity, this venue failed to whet the appetite of sports fans.

For ESPN broadcaster and Tampa native Rob Stone, who witnessed the Mutiny’s struggle to entertain a handful of supporters, the hard sell came down to the game day experience.

“To me atmosphere is the one great element MLS needs to continue to capture..without it, a majority of the American media outlets will continue to treat the league like a minor entity, not worthy of their resources.” he explained.

Stone says the reason ESPN tended to stay away from mutiny home games in their last few seasons wasn't because they were not winning, it was all about the negative impression those empty stands relayed to the viewer. “No atmosphere equals dreadful television,” he adds. “The fans that made it out were supportive and great, but they needed to bring about 15,000 more of
their friends.”

Stadium solutions:

Despite the failures of the Mutiny, Stone is adamant that Tampa, courtesy of the Rowdies success, is still considered a worthwhile soccer market. “If the right components can appear (owner, stadium, and i believe a return to the Rowdie name...it remarkably still carries a lot of clout around here)”

This positive view of Tampa is shared by Tim Holt, Executive Vice President & COO of USL, who viewed the Mutiny not as a failed experiment, but an interrupted work in progress.

While he concedes the Mutiny’s shortcomings—lack of suitable atmosphere, recognizable players and a lack of effort to reach out to local fans—failed to capture the spirit of the Rowdies, he says the main reason the Mutiny no longer exist is that they could not find local ownership willing to operate the franchise at a time when MLS needed to make hard decisions.

“It is critical for any professional soccer team to capture the interest of the market’s hardcore, knowledgeable soccer fan,” he explained. “With all of this said, I believe that the Mutiny were actually on their way to being successful in this market had they been given the opportunity to further establish themselves over time.”

Since coming to Tampa in 1999, Holt describes Central Florida as a thriving youth soccer market with several competitive clubs as a potential source of pro talent.

He points to the example of local side HC United, a regular participant in regional/national champions and supply line of national team players, currently competes in our Super Y-League and has acquired a USL W-League (women’s) franchise which will begin competition in summer 2008 under the guidance of George Fotopoulos.

But while Holt views Tampa as an ideal market for an MLS or USL 1 side, the sticking point remains ownership. Although the USL has been close with several different prospective ownership groups over the past five years, the search continues for the right fit.

With any ownership group, four factors must things in any expansion situation: appropriate stadium/venue, well-capitalized & committed ownership, experienced management and sales team, and strong population base / soccer market.

With the annual operating budget for a USL First Division franchise typically ranging between $1.5-2.0 million-- with start-up costs are also in the low seven-figures, Holt says the biggest factor in profit for USL teams tends to be the generation of ticket and sponsorship revenue.

Crucial to this effort is an attractive stadium situation to attract advertisers and fans. (Translation: a well-located stadium primarily used and designed for soccer that seats in the range of 6,000-12,000 fans with certain amenities.)

“Ultimately, if the community is serious about bringing professional soccer back, the solution will address the lack of a suitable and appropriately sized professional soccer stadium.” adds Holt.

The search continues:

With a number of options seemingly open for Tampa, Holt also revealed that the USL are in active dialog with a group that is considering the acquisition of the USL First Division ( USL -1) rights for the Tampa market to field a team beginning in the 2009 season.

According to Holt, this is a credible group that has the financial wherewithal to operate a franchise at the USL -1 level and has spent the better part of the past year researching the league and best practices of our franchises. But the questions remains, where would they play?

While some fans have suggested Al Lang Field, current home of the minor league Tampa Bay Rays, most are quick to admit that a converted baseball stadium with a capacity below 10,000 is less than ideal.

A more intriguing possibility for many is the ambitious effort by the Clearwater Galactics, a prominent youth and adult soccer club, to build a 15,000 soccer specific stadium and sporting complex in Clearwater.

According to Administrative director Ralf Gerhard, the Galactics were formed in May 2006 with the goal of having a big soccer complex with a professional team playing in the highest levels of American soccer. The first step in this strategic plan is to create a club house where all the members could meet and have nice event.

While Gerhard concedes the challenges of building a stadium (surveying costs, etc), he says his club is currently well on it’s way to garnering necessary sponsorship—with the ultimate goal of breaking ground by 2009-2010.

For his money, Stone says expansion at the University of Tampa or something north of town could work, but “the closer to downtown Tampa the better for fans.”

But rather than moving in to an existing structure, Holt says the USL group, who are simultaneously reviewing options in the Southwestern United States, has indicated a willingness to play a major role in the financing of the building of a new playing venue.

But whatever form the, both Stone and Holt agree it is only a matter of time before pro soccer returns to Tampa. “Between the weather, space and mix of cultures in the sunshine state, all the ingredients are here...that's why MLS would love to get back into the soccer business in Florida.” adds Stone