MLS commissioner says Whitecaps need new stadium deal to stay in Vancouver

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said the Vancouver Whitecaps will need a new stadium agreement if the club is to remain in Vancouver. He said the team does not currently have a viable stadium project, despite its onfield success. The Whitecaps have played at governmentowned B.C. Place since 2011, but the setup limits their ability to generate revenue and has created scheduling problems. The club was forced to give up homefield advantage for a 2024 playoff game because of a motocross event at the venue. Vancouver mayor Ken Sim said in April that the city had offered land at Hastings Park for a potential stadium. He said a bridge deal with the province would be needed to keep B.C. Place workable while a new venue is planned and built. The Whitecaps currently lead the Western Conference and have reached the MLS Cup Final and won four straight Canadian championships in recent seasons. Even so, Garber said the club still lacks a strong business model, and a relocation proposal to Las Vegas surfaced earlier this year.