Expansion

San Francisco 49ers owners agree to invest in MLS hopefuls Sacramento Republic FC

Portland Timbers loanee Steve Evans in action for Sacramento Republic FC

If it wasn't already abundantly clear, there's no doubt now. Sacramento Republic FC aren't playing around in their quest to land an MLS franchise.


A day after the NBA's Sacramento Kings joined the investment group seeking to secure Republic FC an expansion spot in MLS, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson revealed on Thursday that the NFL's San Francisco 49ers have also agreed to invest in the soccer team.



Johnson, who helped facilitate the investment, disclosed the surprising information on Thursday night at his annual State of the City speech. Johnson said the inclusion of the 49ers makes Sacramento's bid for MLS "too good to be true."


Jed York, the 49ers chief executive and who was in attendance, said the investment was made in part because of Sacramento's importance to the NFL team.



"We have more 49ers season ticket holders in Sacramento than we do in San Francisco," York told the Sacramento Bee.


Sacramento Republic FC have expressed a real desire to become an MLS expansion club in the past few years. The club was founded in 2012 and won the USL PRO championship in its first season in the league in 2014, setting attendance records in the process.


"We want to make it very easy for MLS to make a decision," Kevin Nagle, lead investor and managing parter of the club, said. "We built an extraordinary ownership group. It's going to make a very strong, compelling case."




Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/mls/article8604596.html#storylink=cpy


Read more here:://www.sacbee.com/sports/mls/article8604596.html#storylink=cp