Investment Group Interested In Columbus

The group of investors previously committed to bringing an MLS expansion club to Las Vegas is now in discussions to buy a portion of the Columbus Crew franchise from Hunt Sports Group, according to a SportsBusiness Journal article. Hunt Sports Group President John Wagner has confirmed that there have been discussions with the group over a potential minority investment, but stressed that no agreements have been reached and talks are ongoing.
Columbus is one of two franchises owned by Hunt Sports Group, who also own and operate FC Dallas, making them the only group that still owns and operates two separate MLS clubs. Any potential sale of a share of the Crew would likely be similar to the deal struck between Anschutz Entertainment Group and Oscar De La Hoya earlier this year for the Houston Dynamo, as AEG still owns 50% of the back-to-back MLS Champions.

Fronted by California businessman Mark Noorzai, the group also boasts former Columbus Crew and U.S. defensive midfielder Paul Caligiuri among its ranks. Caligiuri spent the inaugural MLS season playing in Columbus before moving on to the Los Angeles Galaxy from 1997 - 2001.

"It's pretty close to being in the final stages," said Caligiuri of the Crew discussions, also disclosing that they would not seek to relocate the team and HSG would continue to operate the club.

Prior to their interest in Columbus, Noorzai's group - the Las Vegas Sports & Entertainment Group - had been lobbying for an expansion franchise of their own to play in Sin City. Last year, they proposed a $500-million, retractable-roof stadium as the centerpiece of the project, coupled with an adjacent hotel and casino.

Caligiuri added that the group still wants to field their own expansion team in Vegas, saying: "[The group] is still interested in moving forward in that area."