Indy Eleven taking another shot in legislature for soccer stadium

The Indy Eleven will soon be back at the Statehouse, taking another shot at persuading lawmakers to help build an $87 million soccer stadium, team President Peter Wilt said Tuesday.

The North American Soccer League team, entering its second season, was unsuccessful last year after bringing a stadium proposal to the legislature before playing a single game.

This time, the Eleven can point to having sold out all of its 14 games at IUPUI's Carroll Stadium, averaging 10,450 fans per game, and having aggressively built itself into a presence on Indy's sports landscape.

Wilt said the proposal for an 18,500-seat Downtown stadium is essentially the same as last year. Rep. Todd Huston, R-Fishers, is the sponsor of a bill expected to be filed within a week.

"From Indy Eleven's perspective, we went out and did what was asked -- to prove that there is a need and a demand for soccer," Wilt said. "The people of Indiana certainly proved there's interest in professional soccer in the Hoosier state."

It's uncertain whether that will be enough to persuade lawmakers to back stadium financing with public money in hopes that the facility will generate millions in ticket taxes.

A year ago, critics took aim at ticket-tax revenue projections of $5 million per year by team owner Ersal Ozdemir, a well-connected developer and generous contributor to politicians. The projections, critics said, were extremely high.

But Wilt noted that the facility would be used for concerts as well as soccer. He said he's "cautiously optimistic" that the team will get a stadium.

"A year ago, (skeptics) were saying, 'Let's see how they do after they play a game,' " Wilt said. "Then they said, 'How will it go after the first game?' Then 'How will it go after the spring season?' "

"I think the proof is there. Soccer's foundation is broad. It's not a fad. The roots of the sport are deep now. It's certainly ingrained in the traditional youth soccer community. But beyond that, it's now ingrained with young adults, new Americans and sports fans in general. It's no longer a niche sport. It's in the mainstream."

Wilt said the endgame is not necessarily a place in Major League Soccer, the nation's top pro soccer league. He said the Eleven could be among the NASL teams that elevate themselves to the level of the MLS.

He noted precedent from the American Basketball Association's merger with the National Basketball Association and the American Football League's merger with the National Football League.

"Regardless of where the two leagues go in the future," Wilt said, "there's a need for a stadium like this in Indianapolis."

Call Star reporter Mark Alesia at (317) 444-6311. Follow him on Twitter: @markalesia.