Vancouver mayor Ken Sim released a statement on Tuesday calling on the province to strike a deal with the Vancouver Whitecaps to keep the MLS side in British Columbia.
The Athletic reported on Monday that a committee of MLS owners met earlier this month to discuss the sale of the Whitecaps, including potential relocation. The league has interest from investors in Las Vegas, according to multiple sources briefed on the talks who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about them publicly, as well as from Phoenix. Two other markets, Indianapolis and Sacramento, remain interested in joining MLS.
Following the report, the Whitecaps came out with multiple statements indicating their preference was to find a buyer who would keep the club in Vancouver, but they said that no suitable offer had come despite engaging with more than 100 prospective buyers.
“If there is a local ownership group with the vision and resources to chart a path forward, we urge them to come forward,” the team said.
Sim released a statement of his own Tuesday that spelled out the club’s history in Vancouver dating back to 1974 and its sporting success over the last few seasons in MLS.
“The City of Vancouver has done its part to create a path forward for the team’s future here by offering prime space at Hastings Park for the Whitecaps to construct a new stadium and entertainment district,” Sim wrote in the statement. “Now, we face the difficult part. BC Place is owned and operated by the Provincial Government. In fact, it’s the only stadium owned and operated by a government found anywhere in the MLS. In order for the team to stay in Vancouver, the Whitecaps and Province must sign a bridge deal that will allow BC Place to become viable in the near term while a new stadium can be designed and built.
“That’s why today, we are calling on the team’s ownership to publicly and clearly articulate what they need to stay here in Vancouver, and we are calling on the Provincial Government to come to the table and make that a reality.
“To all Vancouver Whitecaps fans, to the Southsiders, and to all of the supporter groups, we need you to keep the fight going. We need you to stay strong, and we need you to stay loud. Losing the Whitecaps is not an option. #SAVETHECAPS.”
STATEMENT FROM VANCOUVER MAYOR KEN SIM:
The Whitecaps have been Vancouver’s club since 1974. Many things have changed throughout the years: the players, the logos, the kits, and the stadiums, just to name a few. The one thing that has never changed is Vancouver’s love of this… pic.twitter.com/wRMtuNfE6O
— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) April 28, 2026
The Whitecaps rank at or near the bottom in MLS in multiple revenue streams due to their current deal at BC Place. MLS, unlike most other professional leagues, lean mostly on gameday revenue to drive the business. The league’s media deal with Apple is not as strong as the other top pro sports.
That math has made the business realities extremely difficult for Vancouver.
“We have a suboptimal stadium situation, and we’re trying to fix that,” Garber told reporters in Vancouver last year. “Those restrictions and those challenges make it untenable for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Economically they don’t participate in any revenue.”
MLS reinforced those realities in a statement provided to The Athletic on Monday.
“The Whitecaps’ ownership group has played a significant role in growing the game in Vancouver and across Canada,” MLS spokesperson Dan Courtemanche said in the statement. “However, stadium economics, scheduling restrictions, and a lack of government and corporate support have created ongoing structural challenges that make it difficult to establish a viable path forward for the club.
“We remain focused on supporting the club in identifying a sustainable long-term solution, and our preference is to find a path that allows the Whitecaps to continue to grow and succeed in Vancouver. At the same time, we have a responsibility to ensure the long-term health of the league and its clubs, and we will evaluate all options, including interest that has been expressed in the club from other markets and investor groups.”
