The Carolina Question

           Major League Soccer is one of the fastest growing leagues in the world today.  With this increased growth and revenue, it is obvious that numerous cities and owners are interested in expansion.  I have covered numerous options on this blog before.  The most recent development has scene an unmentioned market jump into the fray.  This market being the Carolinas.  Major League Soccer has sent a probe down in the past few months to test the atmosphere.  According to reports, MLS was welcomed by hundreds of fans that are hungry for a pro franchise.  There are numerous questions that have to be answered.  Where would an expansion team be placed in the Carolinas?  This a unique question.  If there were to be a team do you put it in North or South Carolina?  Do you place the team in one city or a region between many cities?  The Carolina region already has four professional soccer franchises.  That is right, four. The Carolina Railhawks, Charleston Battery, Wilmington Hammerheads and Charlotte Eagles all call the region home.  I don't think that South Carolina has enough populace to sustain major league sports.  This being why no other league has ventured here.  It is a shame because Charleston Battery is a great soccer brand.  Battery is the longest running professional soccer franchise in America.  The probe that came in focused on the Carolina Railhawks.

This team is the Triangle region of North Carolina, the most populous region of all the Carolinas.  This, to me, would seem like the most logical place to put a team.  It not only has the most people, it also has key MLS demographics.  The ownership group of the Railhawks are also very motivated to someday reach Major League Soccer.  I have no idea if the Carolina region will be viable enough to support an MLS team.  The population is right and the ownership is right.  There are numerous things to be addressed.  The new MLS team would have to decide if they will rebrand or keep a current team brand.  They also will need to address stadium issues.  If the stadium is not placed in the right location in the Triangle, it may lead to a major league disaster. The south has failed to support numerous professional franchises.  This thought always looms over the region when it comes to expansion.