Sacramento Republic FC and city leaders on Thursday announced plans to construct a long-awaited soccer stadium and live entertainment venue in the Downtown Railyards.
The $175 million stadium is expected to have over 12,000 seats and is part of a larger infrastructure project aimed at making the Railyards an entertainment destination. The project also includes an additional 3,600-seat venue in the Railyard's historic Central Shops.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he plans to present a term sheet to City Council next week that would put the stadium on track to open by 2027.
“This is the biggest announcement for our downtown since the 2013 fight to save the Kings and build the Golden 1 Center,” Steinberg said on Thursday.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg speaks during a press conference in which city officials and Sacramento Republic FC leadership announced plans to build a long-awaited soccer stadium on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.Gerardo Zavala/CapRadio
Team officials said this development proposal was possible thanks to a “major investment” from a new ownership group: Wilton Rancheria, the Tribe which owns Sky River Casino in Elk Grove.
City officials said Wilton Rancheria is the first Tribe to hold majority ownership in a men’s professional sports franchise.
“This partnership is far more than a business transaction, it represents a significant step forward,” said Wilton Rancheria Chairman Jesus Tarango. “[It] honors the Tribe’s deep and enduring connection to this land, while celebrating the diversity that defines the Sacramento region in an industry where ownership has traditionally lacked diversity.”
Former majority owner and team CEO Kevin Nagle will remain a part owner and manage the team-Tribe partnership.
Wilton Rancheria Chairman Jesus Tarango holds a custom Sacramento Republic FC jersey with his name on it at a press conference in Downtown Sacramento on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.Gerardo Zavala/CapRadio
Sacramento’s long fight for a Downtown soccer stadium
In 2019, city and team officials similarly held a press conference announcing plans to develop a soccer stadium and entertainment district in the Downtown Railyards. But that came with one big caveat: It would only be built if Major League Soccer picked Sacramento as a franchise location.
City Council approved the $262 million plan just days after the announcement was made. Five months later, MLS announced Sacramento Republic FC would be its newest expansion franchise.
“In a few short years, your club has captured the hearts and minds of soccer fans in this city and throughout the region, and the entire sport has taken notice,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in 2019. “There is no doubt that this is a soccer city.”
The team was initially supposed to make their MLS debut in 2022. But the pandemic pushed back that start date to 2023, and then lead investor Ron Burkle backed out in 2021, scrapping Republic’s opportunity to play in the top division.
In the years since, there have been a number of rumors around new investment groups and potential MLS expansion bids, but none have come to fruition.
Wilton Rancheria Chairman Tarango said MLS is still on the team’s radar.
“If the opportunities down the road appear, I think we'll be more than welcome to that opportunity, and I think [MLS] would be more than welcome to have Sacramento's region involved in that, especially with our media market here,” he said on Thursday.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Sacramento Republic CEO Kevin Nagle shake hands at a press conference announcing plans to build a long-awaited soccer stadium on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.Gerardo Zavala/CapRadio
Postseason exit and a leadership change
The announcement of a new stadium comes after the end of The Indomitable Club’s 2024 season. Sacramento reached the USL Championship playoffs for the 10th time in its 11-year history, traveling to Cashman Field on Nov. 1 to face Las Vegas Lights FC in the Western Conference Quarterfinal. It was only the second time in the team’s history that Republic FC played on the road for the opening round.
The teams played to a scoreless draw after 120 minutes and the match went to a penalty shootout, which Las Vegas won 3-2.
Following their playoff exit, Republic FC announced on Nov. 4 that it was parting ways with head coach Mark Briggs after five years.
Briggs was Republic FC’s fourth head coach and the longest-tenured coach in the club’s history. He led the team to the postseason in four out of five seasons — the opening round in 2020 and 2024, the Western Conference Semifinal in 2022 and the Western Conference Final in 2023.
Briggs also coached Sacramento to a historic U.S. Open Cup final in 2022, beating three MLS teams along the way. This was the first time a second-division club reached the cup final in almost two decades.
“Sacramento is a very special place, with a one-of-a-kind club and incredible fans. I’d like to thank the players who’ve been a part of the past five years, the front office who’ve been incredibly supportive, and the fans who welcomed me into the club with tremendous passion and vigor,” Briggs said in a prepared statement earlier this week. “I’m grateful for my time here and it has been an honor to be a part of this community.”
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