The $60 million is not an insignificant amount, but it’s not nearly the kind of money (about $400 million) that was being considered to keep the NFL here with a new stadium.

Of the Edgerley group’s $270 million, $150 million would go toward the MLS expansion fee. Most of the rest would go to building a soccer stadium near Union Station.

Unlike the NFL, owning a Major League Soccer franchise is not a license to print money. Former St. Louis Rams, such as Isaac Bruce , who were approached about being potential minority investors in soccer here, were told the rate of return on their investment would only be about five percent for the first 15 to 20 years.

But there are several signs of MLS growth, particularly among younger audiences. Average attendance in the final five games of last year’s playoffs was nearly 39,000.

Last month, the Los Angeles Galaxy, which is in the midst of a terrible season, drew 25,667 for an Aug. 12 home game in the StubHub Center. The next night in the same venue, the Los Angeles Chargers drew only 21,054 for their NFL preseason opener against Seattle — the first game for the Chargers since their move from San Diego.