United Possibly Moving To Maryland?

Two things are clear in this discussion:<br />
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1. DC United needs a new stadium–RFK simply is not a soccer stadium and it is old.<br />
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2. Having a stadium outside of DC is not a bad idea, but the team would be crazy to have it out by Largo or Morgan Blvd. The fan base for DC is in northern Virginia, DC itself, and Montgomery County. Largo and Morgan Blvd. are to the east of DC and just about as far from the bulk of the DC United fan base as they could get without leaving the DC Metro area.<br />
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Of course, the decision-makers usually go wherever they can get the best deal and just assume the fans will follow. That strategy worked fine with the Redskins, but MLS is not the NFL…

I don't see what the big deal is. I am pleased with the stadium potentially moving there. I drive 2 1/2 hours for every home game and I see no reason that another 30 minutes will stop me from seeing the team. Quit complaining about your 20 minutes more of commute. Its still on the metro line.

decision-makers usually go wherever they can get the best deal

I don’t see what the big deal is. I am pleased with the stadium potentially moving there. I drive 2 1/2 hours for every home game and I see no reason that another 30 minutes will stop me from seeing the team. Quit complaining about your 20 minutes more of commute. Its still on the metro line.

The move really impacts weeknight games. It'll be much more difficult for fans from Virginia to travel to/from a stadium in PG County than it currently is at RFK. However, the same can be said for fans who rely on metro that live in DC and Maryland along the Red or Green lines. <br />
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The complaining by United fans about the stadium being in Maryland is understandable, but that won't be the reason for any drop in attendance. United wants to build an Urban stadium. What they'll probably sacrifice in this endeavor (as they would at Poplar Point), is space designated for tailgating. They'll most likely have some, but the stadium, when combined with mixed use development, probably won't be surrounding by a large parking lot (think Verizon Center and National's Park). <br />
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Additionally, United will work hard to make up their investment. This means that ticket prices will be raised from their current amounts $340 and $460 for Spectator and Premium, respectively, to somewhere around $500 and $600. I believe that every MLS team that has built a new stadium also saw an increase in concessions, with beers costing between $8 and $9. This will be particularly annoying to fans who already feel they're paying too much for the lack of amenities at RFK stadium.<br />
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These inevitable price increases will probably play a larger role in a dip in attendance numbers than the PG location.

The move really impacts weeknight games. It’ll be much more difficult for fans from Virginia to travel to/from a stadium in PG County than it currently is at RFK. However, the same can be said for fans who rely on metro that live in DC and Maryland along the Red or Green lines.

The complaining by United fans about the stadium being in Maryland is understandable, but that won’t be the reason for any drop in attendance. United wants to build an Urban stadium. What they’ll probably sacrifice in this endeavor (as they would at Poplar Point), is space designated for tailgating. They’ll most likely have some, but the stadium, when combined with mixed use development, probably won’t be surrounding by a large parking lot (think Verizon Center and National’s Park).

Additionally, United will work hard to make up their investment. This means that ticket prices will be raised from their current amounts $340 and $460 for Spectator and Premium, respectively, to somewhere around $500 and $600. I believe that every MLS team that has built a new stadium also saw an increase in concessions, with beers costing between $8 and $9. This will be particularly annoying to fans who already feel they’re paying too much for the lack of amenities at RFK stadium.

These inevitable price increases will probably play a larger role in a dip in attendance numbers than the PG location.