The Vancouver Whitecaps sale and possible relocation talks reached a boiling point this week as fans protested in the street, government officials said losing the team was “not an option,” and MLS commissioner Don Garber’s unusual post about the situation resulted from a hacker, the league claimed.
On Monday, The Athletic first reported that MLS owners had met this month to discuss a potential relocation, with Las Vegas, followed by Phoenix, at the top of the list, and that the league has spoken with a group interested in bringing a team to Sin City.
On Thursday afternoon, a group led by Grant Gustavson, the heir to a storage unit fortune, said it had submitted a bid to move the team to Las Vegas.
British Columbia Premier David Eby posted a video on social media on Wednesday saying that losing the MLS team “is not an option.”
“The Whitecaps are British Columbia, and I want you to know that we are at the table fighting hard to save the Whitecaps,” Eby said.
A few hours later, MLS commissioner Don Garber’s account replied to Eby’s video: “Liar liar pants on fire.” The post is now deleted, and Garber said his account had been “compromised.” A league spokesman said that Garber’s account was “hacked.”
“I appreciate Premier Eby for taking the time to meet with me today,” Garber said.
A league source tells Front Office Sports that the post happened while Garber and other league staff were at dinner in Vancouver, and the few people with access to his account were either at the meal or asleep in New York. The source says there were no attempted breaches on any other MLS accounts.
The Whitecaps, which have been for sale since December 2024, are owned by software executive Greg Kerfoot, technology executive Steve Luczo, Yahoo founding president Jeff Mallett, and NBA legend Steve Nash. On Monday, the team issued a public statement acknowledging issues in the sale process, and their ownership’s “strong preference” to find a buyer in Vancouver.
“The club has faced well-documented structural challenges around stadium economics, venue access, and revenue limitations that have made it difficult to attract buyers committed to keeping the team in Vancouver,” the statement said. “Over the past 16 months, we have had serious conversations with more than 100 parties, and to date, no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here.
“If there is a local ownership group with the vision and resources to chart a path forward, we urge them to come forward.”
The Whitecaps play in BC Place, which is owned by the Province of British Columbia, and their one-year lease extension is up at the end of this year. Eby met with Garber and said they had “constructive” talks on Wednesday about the future of the team. Garber last year called the Whitecaps situation “untenable” and said the team needs a “better lease” that awards them a greater share of the revenue at BC Place.
“It’s reaching a critical point,” the commissioner said on Tuesday. “If we can’t get a better dynamic in that with BC Place, I don’t know how we stay.”
The Whitecaps are the reigning runners-up in both the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup. The team played in various iterations for decades before its 2011 entry into MLS, and has the league’s 10th highest average attendance, according to Transfermarkt. Even before Monday’s report, fans have staged a campaign to “Save The Caps” with protest marches and demonstrations, banners at matches, and on social media.
Nash declined an interview about the team.
Vancouver mayor Ken Sim also said on Monday that losing the team is “not an option.”
“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,” Sim said in a statement. “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.”
The province’s minister of jobs and economic growth, Ravi Kahlon, told The Province in an interview published Tuesday that the team has not yet proposed taking over BC Place.
“It can’t be us investing millions in a roof and fixing the stadium and them saying ‘OK, we’ll take the profits,’” Kahlon said. “We need to see what their plan would look like, because we don’t want to be stuck holding the bag if they were sold.”
Eby, however, said Wednesday that the team taking over BC Place is “not on the table” because “the Whitecaps have shown absolutely no interest” in doing so.
MLS spokesperson Dan Courtemanche said in a statement that Whitecaps ownership has “played a significant role in growing the game” across Canada, but “stadium economics, scheduling restrictions, and a lack of government and corporate support” are complicating any “viable path forward.”
“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,” Courtemanche said. “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.”
The eyes of the soccer world are currently on Vancouver as the city hosts the FIFA Congress, the global governing body’s annual meeting of national federations, and an unofficial kickoff for this summer’s World Cup.
Las Vegas has added a portfolio of pro sports teams over the last decade, with many relocating from other cities. The Aces came from San Antonio in 2018, the Raiders came from Oakland in 2020, and the A’s are in the middle of their move from Oakland, set to begin play in Nevada in 2028. The Vegas Golden Knights joined the NHL as an expansion team in 2017.
