Sacramento's bid for an MLS expansion has come to an end with an October 21 announcement from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and MLS officials:

MLS is coming to Sacramento.

Sacramento Scores MLS Goal

Sacramento Republic fans have been eagerly anticipating an expansion from the league's 2014 start.

Sacramento Republic FC made its first official bid for an MLS franchise in 2017, but, at the time, league officials passed over Sacramento, awarding expansions to Nashville, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Austin, and St. Louis.

Despite the setback, local supporters continued to believe an expansion was forthcoming.

The addition of Ron Burkle and Matt Alvarez to Republic ownership and a commitment to building a soccer stadium in The Railyards appears to have given Sacramento the needed edge to secure a franchise.

On October 21, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Gov. Gavin Newsome, investors Ron Burkle, Matt Alvarez, and Kevin Nagle and MLS Commissioner Don Garber officially announced Sacramento's expansion in front of an audience of SRFC season ticket holders and community stakeholders at the Bank in downtown Sacramento.

"It's the perfect city for our growing league," Garber told a cheering crowd of soccer fans.

MLS Stadium Coming to Sacramento Railyards

Sacramento's new MLS team will begin league play in 2022 in a new stadium located at the Sacramento Railyards.

The 426,000 sq foot MLS stadium will have a maximum capacity for 22,000, including:

• 30 suites
• 3,660 premium seats
• 600 standing-room-only spots
• Roof terrace plaza

HNTB Corp., lead-architect for the stadium, designed the Santa Clara San Francisco 49ers stadium and a 20,000 seat MLS stadium for Columbus Crew.

The stadium venue has been designed to host concerts, entertainment, and local, regional, and national sporting events.

Sacramento's MLS stadium will be located in the East End District of The Railyards on a 13-acre parcel. A 14-acre planned adjacent mixed-use district will create a vibrant neighborhood around the stadium.

Both the stadium and adjacent entertainment district are privately financed and require no direct public financing.

As development moves forward, the MLS stadium joins the list of projects underway in The Sacramento Railyards development.

A mixed-use residential housing project of 332 units (Revolve) and 2-building office/retail project (the Foundry)  are bringing opportunities for residents and businesses to be among the first to stake a claim in The Railyards development.

The MLS stadium, Revolve, and the Foundry are all located at the eastern end of The Railyards development, just a few short blocks away from downtown/ Golden 1 Center/ DOCO and the Sacramento Valley Station.

With the MLS announcement official and stadium agreements in place, stadium construction will now move forward with an anticipated start date of Summer 2020.

Congratulations, Sacramento. Your hard work to bring it home has paid off. #MLS2SAC