An investor group led by Grant Gustavson has submitted a bid to the Major League Soccer (MLS) League Office in an effort to acquire Vancouver Whitecaps FC and potentially relocate the franchise to Las Vegas.
The group confirmed it would privately finance the acquisition, but has not yet been connected to a potential home site for the Las Vegas MLS franchise.
Currently, the Las Vegas Lights United Soccer League franchise plays at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, with alternatives such as the Las Vegas Ballpark and Allegiant Stadium also serving as possibilities.
Gustavson is the grandson of Public Storage Co-Founder B. Wayne Hughes and the son of Kentucky billionaire Tamara Hughes Gustavson, whose net worth was recently estimated to be $8.6bn by Forbes.
MLS officials had previously met to discuss the future of Vancouver Whitecaps FC after the franchise was put up for sale in 2024 and has been unable to find a buyer committed to keeping the team in Vancouver ever since.
League officials had also met with a group looking to bring an MLS franchise to Las Vegas, and pushed forward with idea to relocate the Whitecaps given the team’s lease with BC Place stadium expires at the conclusion of 2026.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim had stated losing the Whitecaps was “not an option” on social media, while team CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster previously described relocating the franchise as “plan Z.”
In a released statement from Gustavson’s group, the investors said they “look forward” to sharing more about the potential acquisition and relocation “in the coming weeks and months.”
The group will continue to refrain from releasing further details of its proposal, including financial compensation and a confirmed home playing field, “out of respect for the league’s deliberations and community stakeholders.”
Las Vegas has also been named as a potential destination for a new expansion franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), which received support from figures such as MGM Resorts International President & CEO Bill Hornbuckle.
In January, Soccer United Marketing formed a new multi-year agreement with Polymarket, naming the operator as the official and exclusive prediction market partner of the MLS and Leagues Cup tournament.
The partnership will also include safeguards designed to maintain match integrity, such as the independent monitoring of trading activities and collaborations.
The Las Vegas Diamond Arena project was introduced as a potential destination for an NBA expansion franchise on April 21, featuring over 21,000 seats and the ‘largest parking capacity’ of any competing site
