By NICHOLAS MURRAY – nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com
Monday, December 7, 2015

Two years ago, Major League Soccer announced plans to reach 24 teams by 2020.

On Saturday night, the league’s Board of Governors announced its support for the league to grow to 28 teams.

“There is no shortage of demand for MLS expansion teams and we believe the opportunity exists to grow beyond our current plans,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “We will evaluate how to grow the league to 28 teams and establish a process and timeline for future expansion.”

One of the teams that will likely be at the top of the list as MLS continues to grow is the USL’s Sacramento Republic FC. After last week seeing its plan for an MLS stadium in the city’s Railyards district given approval through Operation Turnkey, Sac Soccer and Entertainment Holdings Managing Partner Kevin Nagle released a statement on the league’s expansion plans.

“The path to MLS became clearer today,” Nagle said. “The Board’s decision to approve expansion from 24 to 28 teams speaks to the league’s bright future and extraordinary potential. For Sacramento, today’s news, along with the Commissioner’s supportive statements earlier this week, validate our hard work on Operation Turnkey and renew our sense of purpose in pursuing MLS. While we have much work left to do, there is no doubt that Sacramento is one step closer to reaching our ultimate goal.”

Other USL clubs with aspirations to join North America’s top flight also chimed in, with Louisville City FC principal owner Wayne Estopinal saying he felt encouraged by the news.

“I think it shows that support is growing more quickly than even their 2020 deadline may be,” Estopinal told the Louisville Courier-Journal’s Jonathan Lintner. “I focus on whether or not we're paying attention to creating a professional setting in Louisville, and hoping the city recognizes a competitive situation we're in with other neighboring cities.”

Currently, three of the expansion berths to bring MLS to 24 teams have been awarded, with Atlanta United FC, Minnesota United FC and Los Angeles FC all set to join the league in upcoming seasons. The fourth remains undecided, with the bid from David Beckham’s group to bring MLS back to Miami appearing to be the favorite at this point.