New stadium needed to keep Whitecaps in Vancouver, says MLS commissioner

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said before the United States beat Australia at the World Cup on Friday that the Vancouver Whitecaps need to have a new stadium deal in order to keep the club in Vancouver.

"We're committed to keeping the team here if we have a viable stadium project," Garber said, "which we don't have now."

Financial hurdles have hit the club despite its success on the pitch. B.C. Place, the Whitecaps' home since 2011, is government-owned and operated by B.C. Pavilion Corporation, restricting the club from potential revenue streams.

In April, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim said the city has offered space at Hastings Park on its east side for the team to build a stadium.

"Now, we face the difficult part," Sim said at the time. "B.C. Place is owned and operated by the provincial government. In fact, it's the only stadium owned and operated by a government found anywhere in the MLS. In order for the team to stay in Vancouver, the Whitecaps and province must sign a bridge deal that will allow B.C. Place to become viable in the near term while a new stadium can be designed and built."

Scheduling flexibility has also been a problem, as the Whitecaps had to forfeit home-field advantage for a 2024 playoff game due to a motocross event taking place at the stadium.

"We want to keep the team there, but we can't do that unless the political influencers and their entities put together something that will allow Vancouver to not be at the bottom of the list," Garber said. "They don't have the tools to be successful."

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