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Misc: Major Professional Sports Team in Iowa

Will Iowa EVER have a Major Pro Sports Team?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 11.1%

  • No

    Votes: 64 88.9%
  • Total voters
    72
BCoffClone125

BCoffClone125

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2010
1,176
1,197
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Salt Lake City, UT
With recent news of the MLS planning on expanding to four more teams, it got me thinking if Des Moines would have any shot at landing one of them. You can read more about the MLS expansion here: MLS will add four expansion teams by 2020 - Soccer - SI.com

Clearly, especially if you read the article, there is a very, very low chance that this would happen right now. However, it got me thinking about whether or not the state of Iowa would EVER be able to support a major professional sports team in the future? We certainly have a lot of support for our university's athletic programs for a state of our size, and have had some decent success with supporting lower level pro teams as well.

Personally, I don't think it would ever happen unless we see Des Moines grow tremendously within the next several years. I think we would be able to get good fan support (depending on the sport), but the television market isn't large enough. If there's anything I've learned from the whole conference expansion fiasco, it's that TV market$ matter.

Curious to see what the rest of you fanatics think about the subject though.
 
Im not sure which is the easier no. This or the "would Steel Jantz start this year" thread.
 
I agree DSM isn't big enough, and with so many pro teams within 3-5 hours, I really think it would be hard to get a city behind a team. You could easily make the argument for it, but a lifelong Bears/Vikings/etc fan isn't going to jump.

An MLS team would be our best chance, but even thats a stretch. I used to go to Menace games when I was younger, and the fans are few and far between. If we packed Waukee or Valley or wherever they play now, they might consider us, but I don't see it happening.
 
It will never happen nor do i want it to. If for some reason we got an NBA team, Iowa and Iowa State basketball attendance would suffer worse than Oklahoma and Okie Lite's basketball attendance.
 
CysRage said:
It will never happen nor do i want it to. If for some reason we got an NBA team, Iowa and Iowa State basketball attendance would suffer worse than Oklahoma and Okie Lite's basketball attendance.
Click to expand...

Have they had a significant drop in attendance since the Thunder came to OKC? Guess I haven't paid attention, but it probably doesn't help that both their basketball programs haven't been that great (minus this past season) the past 5 years or so either.
 
I'm sure this list is incomplete but let's list the professional (minor) teams in DSM right now.

DSM Menace
DSM Bucs
Iowa Stars
Iowa Energy
Iowa Cubs

So in DSM, a region with roughly 500,000 people you have 5 teams, one for every 100,000 people.

Now let's look at the Twin Cities as a comparison.

Twins
Vikings
Wild
Wolves
Thunder
Saints
Lynx
Swarm

In the TC you have 3.4 million. So that's one teams for every 425,000 people even including the "small" teams like the Lynx, Swarm, Saints, and Thunder.

I wish DSM could get a pro soccer team but in reality I know the DSM market is way too saturated as it is. Iowa has too many teams for the total population. Hell, even MN only has one affiliated baseball team. I think we have
5. I LOVE how Iowans support their college teams. I LOVE that our players bleed cardinal and gold and don't move because someone offered a bigger contract. I want support to remain with them.
 
Could happen.... If a league like MLS allowed relegation. But that is unlikely to happen, since no owner wants to pay all the $$ to own a team and risk getting relegated.
 
chuckd4735 said:
Im not sure which is the easier no. This or the "would Steel Jantz start this year" thread.
Click to expand...
The answer is this one. Sam richardson might be a bust. Des moines is never going to be big enough.
 
To the one person who voted yes, it's time to come out and confess you did it as a joke. :v_SPIN:
 
A soccer team is the only one I would support, I have ISU for football and basketball and that's the extent of my sports.
 
JackDog said:
The thread title says Major ​professional sports team. What is this soccer you speak of?

beat me to it Carl ;)
Click to expand...


GoodShowBravoApplause-1.gif
 
Des Moines is the 72nd largest metropolitan area in the United States.

If my count is correct, the smallest metro with a Big Four franchise is Oklahoma City, which comes in at #46. (No, Green Bay doesn't count.)

And OKC is aided by the fact that the #54 sized metro is just an hour and a half away (Tulsa). Cedar Rapids (#117) is the Tulsa to Des Moines' OKC. So the math just doesn't work at all.

Link
 
Last edited:
mtowncyclone13 said:
I'm sure this list is incomplete but let's list the professional (minor) teams in DSM right now.

DSM Menace
DSM Bucs
Iowa Stars
Iowa Energy
Iowa Cubs

So in DSM, a region with roughly 500,000 people you have 5 teams, one for every 100,000 people.

Now let's look at the Twin Cities as a comparison.

Twins
Vikings
Wild
Wolves
Thunder
Saints
Lynx
Swarm

In the TC you have 3.4 million. So that's one teams for every 425,000 people even including the "small" teams like the Lynx, Swarm, Saints, and Thunder.

I wish DSM could get a pro soccer team but in reality I know the DSM market is way too saturated as it is. Iowa has too many teams for the total population. Hell, even MN only has one affiliated baseball team. I think we have
5. I LOVE how Iowans support their college teams. I LOVE that our players bleed cardinal and gold and don't move because someone offered a bigger contract. I want support to remain with them.
Click to expand...

You forgot the Iowa Wild. I know, I know...... Hockey?
 
CyFan61 said:
Des Moines is the 72nd largest metropolitan area in the United States.

If my count is correct, the smallest metro with a Big Four franchise is Oklahoma City, which comes in at #46. (No, Green Bay doesn't count.)

And OKC is aided by the fact that the #54 sized metro is just an hour and a half away (Tulsa). Cedar Rapids (#117) is the Tulsa to Des Moines' OKC. So the math just doesn't work at all.

Link
Click to expand...

Actually, I think Buffalo at #50 (pop. 1.2 mil) is the smallest based on that list, but they are also fairly close to Toronto, so point taken.
 
Billionaires buying playthings will probably insure that it never happens but the NBA could truly be a global (and podunk town) league. Just no use of the word "corn" in the franchise name, please.
 
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