Soccer teams can’t share stadiums

Need for premium seating is one strike against dual-pupose stadiums

By Jason Vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Jun 25, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (12 Reader comments)

©2009 Corky Trewin

This is a view of the stadium during the Seattle Sounders inaugural game at Qwest Field: Soccer can co-exist with football, but not baseball.

Portlanders will have an opportunity to watch a Major League Soccer team play in PGE Park on July 1, when the Seattle Sounders face the Portland Timbers.

But by the time the Timbers make the move from United Soccer Leagues to MLS in 2011, PGE Park will have undergone a $30 million-plus renovation that will prevent the minor league Portland Beavers baseball team from continuing to play there.

Many Portlanders are wondering why PGE Park cannot be made to work for both an MLS team and the Beavers – especially since the Beavers could be forced to leave town without a new Triple-A baseball stadium built for them.

Both teams would be owned by Merritt Paulson, after all.

The simple answer: The MLS does not want to share PGE Park with baseball.

“It’s fine for the Timbers and the United Soccer Leagues,” says Marshall Glickman, who, as managing partner of Portland Family Entertainment, oversaw PGE Park’s remodel nine years ago. “The MLS needs permanent seating on both sides, and we located suites behind home plate. It’s not realistic for (Paulson) to do MLS if there’s not the opportunity to sell premium seating or corporate hospitality” in traditional sideline spots.

Many MLS teams play in stadiums used for other events, including football, but only one shares a venue with a baseball team, and it’s on a temporary basis. The Kansas City Wizards play soccer at 10,385-seat Community America Ballpark, home of the independent baseball team Kansas City T-Bones. The Wizards have land and plans to build a soccer stadium to open in 2011.

D.C. United plays soccer at RFK Stadium, where the baseball Washington Nationals used to play before moving into their own park last year.

In 2010, the MLS will have 16 teams, with Philadelphia joining as an expansion franchise. Ten of the teams will play in stadiums built for the MLS teams. Two others (New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders) are in NFL venues controlled by their owners. The New York Red Bulls currently play at Giants Stadium but will move into their own venue next year.

Houston and San Jose play MLS in college stadiums but are working to build their own facilities.

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