LCFC seeks sustainability, starts stadium talks

Louisville mayor Greg Fischer said this week he remains "very bullish" on his town as a spot for potential Major League Soccer expansion.

In the short term, Louisville City FC officials are working to ensure they'll be in position to answer a call from the nation's top-tier league.

"It's really not even about being profitable," said Wayne Estopinal, Louisville City FC's operating manager. "It's about how we can create a structure that allows us to sustain ourselves and look forward to the future. ... I don't think we're selling an abstract anymore. We've created a new fan base for Louisville, and we think it's an appropriate time to be talking about this."

Estopinal plans to meet Monday with Fischer to discuss City's current five-year sub-lease from the Triple-A Bats to play home games at Louisville Slugger Field. Conversations are also expected to start on a soccer-specific stadium.

Louisville City FC has averaged 6,431 fans at its 11 home games, second of 24 clubs in the United Soccer Leagues. But Estopinal has often cited lack of parking and concession revenues, as well as limited sponsorship inside the baseball stadium, as points of contention.

"The important thing about any contract is it needs to be a win-win for everybody involved," Fischer said. "Now we have close to a year of numbers to evaluate if that's the case. Hopefully it is, and if it's not, there could be some discussions to be had. We've got to look at the data first."

Gary Ulmer, the Louisville Bats' president, said he will not be part of Monday's meeting and hasn't been approached by Louisville City FC personnel about their lease.

"We're certainly prepared to honor our agreement," Ulmer said, adding that in splitting the stadium this season, "There have been some challenges, but we all work through it together."

Louisville City FC's agreement to play at Slugger Field measures five years, though the team can end the deal with no penalty should a new stadium be built. For now, Estopinal said, it costs $5,000 per game rent Slugger, plus additional costs of covering personnel that push the final figure north of $20,000 -- "not a sustainable situation."

The USL has requested its franchises each construct their own stadiums by 2020. Also, Estopinal said, the league will within two years likely require youth academies to attract and develop top talents.

"It takes time to start planning and thinking about a stadium," Fischer said. "That's a large endeavor, and we've got to find a place to do it. So it's not too soon to start the planning and making sure we're getting all the pieces in place."

Estopinal, a local architect by trade, said he has as many as five potential sites in mind to start with a 9,000-seat facility, on-site offices and training grounds. Keeping MLS in mind, he'd like the possibility to expand capacity to around 20,000.

A minor-league soccer arms race of sorts is on to attract MLS attention.

Indianapolis, whose Indy Eleven plays in the North American Soccer League, is also considering a stadium. Last week, the USL announced Cincinnati will join in 2016, playing its games at renovated Nippert Stadium, home to University of Cincinnati football. Also nearby, Saint Louis FC started play this year in the USL.

"If one of them gets an MLS team, I doubt that another one does," Estopinal said.

Added Fischer: "We've got to play to win on the field and off the field as well. It's not too soon to start looking at what the financial structure (of a stadium) would be, where the league is going and making sure everybody's happy with Louisville. I think they are. This is a natural place I was hoping to be near the end of the first season."