Grant Gustavson Bids to Move Vancouver Whitecaps to Las Vegas
The vancouver whitecaps are the subject of a formal bid from Grant Gustavson, a prospective owner who wants to move the club to Las Vegas. MLS has received the offer, putting Vancouver’s future back in play after 16 months of talks with more than 100 parties.
Grant Gustavson’s Las Vegas offer
Gustavson’s investor group said it submitted a bid for consideration to the MLS League Office and will privately finance the endeavor. The group also said it is not connected to any of the recently announced arena ideas in Las Vegas, even as sources indicate Gustavson has committed to building a soccer-specific venue there as part of the offer.
Gustavson is 30 years old and lives in Las Vegas. He is the son of Kentucky billionaire Tamara Gustavson, whose net worth Forbes estimates at $8.5 billion, and the grandson of B. Wayne Hughes.
Whitecaps and Vancouver reaction
The Whitecaps said Monday that they have had serious conversations with more than 100 parties over the past 16 months and that no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club in Vancouver. Their statement pointed to structural challenges around stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations that have made it difficult to attract buyers committed to staying.
Vancouver mayor Ken Sim pushed for a bridge deal and urged the team and the province to find one that could keep the Whitecaps in the market. He also called on the team’s ownership to publicly and clearly articulate what they need to stay in Vancouver and told supporters to keep fighting, saying: “Losing the Whitecaps is not an option. #SAVETHECAPS.”
MLS owners and the next step
The relocation push gained traction earlier this month, when a special committee of MLS owners met to discuss the Whitecaps’ potential move to Las Vegas. The terms of Gustavson’s offer were not immediately known, but the bid now puts a formal path on the table for a sale that would leave Vancouver and send the club to a city that already has a growing soccer fan base.
