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MLS Detroit Campaign Update
October 11, 2004
Contact: Kyle Karns (989) 781-6888 info@buckssoccer.com

DETROIT'S BID FOR MLS TEAM ADVANCES

The campaign to bring Major League Soccer (MLS) to metropolitan Detroit has advanced to the next stage, thanks to 15 months of hard work by the grassroots organization, MLS Detroit. "Detroit has a strong heritage of supporting professional soccer. Based on the enthusiasm shown through the season ticket drive, MLS remains very interested in the possibility of bringing an MLS Expansion team to Detroit. We look forward to learning more about the potential for a soccer-specific stadium as well as a continuing to work to identify a local ownership group," said MLS Chief Operating Officer, Mark Abbott.

After making significant progress in securing potential stadium sites, designing an economically viable stadium and collecting nearly 1,500 season ticket deposits during Phase One of the campaign, the group announced that Phase Two begins today. "The tremendous interest shown by the Michigan soccer community for MLS has put us in an outstanding position to land a team," said MLS Detroit Chairman, Jim Duggan. "We have also put together what we believe to be an attractive situation for someone with the means to own a professional sports team."

Major League Soccer has added clubs in L.A. and Salt Lake City for the 2005 season, bringing their current total to 12, and is looking to add two more teams in 2006 or 2007. By 2007, the league will also be able to boast of new soccer-specific stadiums in Chicago, Dallas and New Jersey, joining L.A. 's world-class Home Depot Center and Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH. Other communities known to be vying for an Expansion team in MLS currently include Seattle, Rochester (NY), San Antonio, Houston and Cleveland, among others.

"We still have a long way to go," said Duggan. "But the efforts of the soccer community in the last year have increased our odds tremendously." The group must still produce a local investor, finalize stadium plans and collect at least another 3,500 season ticket deposits by a self-imposed deadline of September 30, 2005. After laying the groundwork to make Detroit one of the more attractive markets in the U.S. for Major League Soccer, securing a lead investor is the group's immediate priority. "In just 15 months, our group has grown from a few people to a motivated clan of 1,500, but we now need a strong investor to take this bid to the next level," said Duggan, who praised the MLS Detroit "Captains", Michigan Bucks "Insiders", area indoor facilities and soccer stores, as well as clubs from the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association and the Michigan Soccer Association for their contributions to date.

Those interested in more information on the campaign to bring MLS to Michigan should log onto: www.MLSDetroit.com