The programming committee for the 77th Annual SAM International Business Conference is pleased to announce the acceptance of the presentation Soccer in the United States What is the Future? by Hank Johnson Jason Longshore and Jessica Charman of the New England Institute of Technology and the Atlanta United Football Club and the Charlotte Football Club.
Presentation Abstract: Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States’ successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The inaugural season took place in 1996. Since then, developments such as the proliferation of soccer-specific stadiums around the league, implementation of the Designated Player Rule allowing teams to sign star international players, and national TV contracts have made MLS profitable.
According to Commissioner Don Garber, the MLS has an average attendance of over 20,000 per game. This makes the MLS the third-highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB)and the seventh-highest attended professional soccer league worldwide.
With the World Cup, soccer largest competition, coming to the United States in 2026, what will the future growth of soccer in the United States?
Please join panelists Jason Longshore the voice of Atlanta United and Jessica Charmin the voice of the Charlotte Football Club as they discuss soccer in the United States with moderator Hank Johnson
Join us online to see this great paper and many more March 31 – April 2, 2022. For registration information visit www.samnational.org/conference.