Major League Soccer confirmed they have reached a stage of "advanced discussions" with a group of investors seeking an outdoor stadium for an expansion team in Minnesota, the league announced on Monday.
Last week, multiple outlets reported that MLS favored the bid led by North American Soccer League club Minnesota United over one from the NFL's Vikings, who wanted an MLS club to play in the covered venue set to open next year.
MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed the news in an announcement on Monday.
"We are in advanced discussions with [United owner] Bill McGuire and his partners in Minnesota to bring a Major League Soccer expansion club to the Twin Cities and are particularly excited about their plans for a new soccer-specific stadium that will serve as the club's home," Garber said.
"We remain on track to announce the next MLS expansion market in the next 30-45 days, though no specific date for an announcement has been set."
McGuire, the former UnitedHealth Group executive, owns Minnesota United, which plays in Blaine, a suburb north of Minneapolis. McGuire's group, with backing from Twins owner Jim Pohlad and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, has not publicized any stadium plans.
"We are in discussions with the league and remain hopeful that they will award an expansion team to Minnesota," the club said in a statement.
The Vikings followed with a statement, confirming the league has informed them of the plan to pursue a soccer-specific stadium in Minneapolis.
"We have been very excited about the possibility of bringing an MLS team to Minnesota fans and deeply committed to providing a phenomenal stadium experience. We offered MLS an ideal situation -- a stadium that is certain and will be completed in 2016, a plan that was funded by the public and private sectors to host MLS, and an option that will not require additional government approvals," owner Mark Wilf said in a statement.
The developing area just to the west of where the Twins play at Target Field and the Timberwolves play at Target Center has been widely assumed to be the most likely site of a soccer stadium, but McGuire's group has kept the details mostly quiet. Private is likely how the venue will have to be funded, too.
Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk said on Monday there is no appetite at the legislature to consider a state subsidy toward an outdoor soccer stadium, a message the powerful Democrat has personally communicated with the league's commissioner. No stadium proposal has been introduced, but in Bakk's view, the soccer group "shouldn't even come by."
Bakk cited the league's trouble putting a team on the field in Miami, which was awarded a franchise last year but is still trying to nail down stadium financing.
"I don't know if they're going to potentially make that mistake twice or if this group of owners is going to figure out how to finance a $150 million stadium or not,'' the senator said.
Since 2000, sports facilities with varying degrees of public contributions have opened in the Twin Cities for the NHL's Wild, the University of Minnesota football team and the MLB's Twins.
Once the new $1 billion Vikings stadium opens in 2016, the Vikings owners have an exclusive five-year window to bring a soccer franchise to play there. Absent a deal with the Vikings, the McGuire-led group would not be able to use the stadium.
MLS is on record as stating that the current round of expansion will see the number of teams increased to 24 by 2020. The league is currently at 20 teams, with an additional two clubs -- Atlanta and Los Angeles Football Club -- scheduled to begin play in 2017. That leaves two more slots -- one for Miami and the other now lined up for Minneapolis.
Sacramento is the other serious contender for an expansion team, though MLS has also spoken with organizations in San Antonio, Texas, and St. Louis, and ruled out a bid for Las Vegas.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.