Garber said that the league has long been considering St. Louis as an expansion site — he met Peacock 10 years ago in St. Louis, he said. But earlier efforts always fell through.

Now, he said “is the right time” for St. Louis. “With an expansion team, you can actually build a club that is born in St. Louis,” he said. The team, he continued, can build fans over generations.

The league has been on a growth spurt since Garber got the job. It added two teams in 2015 — in New York City and Orlando, Fla. — hitting 20, total. It plans to add four in the next few years: Atlanta and Minnesota in 2017, a second Los Angeles team in 2018, plus, if David Beckham can overcome stadium problems, one in Miami that year, too.

And it wants to reach 28 soon thereafter.

Garber said a team in St. Louis could kick off as soon as 2020.

There are several competitors for an expansion team. Garber said the league is also looking at Sacramento, Calif., San Diego, San Antonio and Detroit.

Three big factors govern expansion, he said: Fans. Ownership. And stadiums.