A Stock Exchange…for Soccer Clubs

 Last week, I was in Chattanooga. Chattanooga is home to Chattanooga FC, and I happened to bump into Sheldon Grizzle, the team’s co-founder and Vice-Chairman.  We had long, spirited discussions regarding soccer in the United States.  And we discussed a variety of activities going on in Chattanooga.  Specifically, we discussed the community ownership structure that we alluded to – in an earlier blog titled Why Community Ownership Makes More Sense.

 The basics of the community ownership structure require a much longer blog – but rather than write a blog in response to some of Sheldon’s questions, we made a video about community ownership.  More specifically, we presented the soccer exchange concept.  This concept at its simplest is a stock exchange-like entity that helps communities raise the necessary capital or monetize soccer assets.  This approach allows for broader ownership and creates a stronger engagement level for the fan.

 The soccer exchange model is an alternative to the current MLS franchise model.  Keep in mind this idea is not fully baked yet.  It is a concept, a prototype – so feel free to read and ask comments or iterate.  Our goal is to think about soccer and the structure of sport differently.  Hopefully, this is an example of such thoughts.