Vancouver Whitecaps make bid to run BC Place: report

Will they stay or will they go?

After months of anxiety surrounding the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps, fans may be seeing a glimmer of hope.

According to reports, the team has made an offer to PavCo — the Crown corporation that runs BC Place — and the provincial government to take over operations at the stadium.

Michael McColl, managing editor of AFTN, first broke the news on his soccer podcast, Away from the Numbers.

“They would operate the venue, they would control the dates,” McColl said.

He says it would be a smart move, as the ‘Caps would gain more control over revenue, which he says has been the big “driving force” behind their struggles.

“There’s a big disparity between the money that other clubs are making in Major League Soccer (MLS) and what the Whitecaps can make.”

The Whitecaps have long faced revenue challenges, with the league saying operational constraints around scheduling and venue access have created untenable conditions for the team.

“You’ve had instances where the Whitecaps have had to play a home game in Victoria, in Portland,” he said. “This would mean they would control that. They would know what dates they need, not book concerts.”

“I think it’s a win-win for PavCo. I don’t know how much appetite PavCo has for running the venue.”

This is encouraging news for fans who have been desperately trying to keep the team in Vancouver.

Whitecaps season ticket holder Aaron Ottho says fans have been anxious for a while, and they are glad to see there is finally some movement.

“This provides hope that the team will stay and not go to Vegas,” Ottho said.

“I think they’re thinking out of the box, a bit creatively. They can’t obviously continue doing what they’ve been doing.”

Kevin Clark is a member of the Vancouver Southsiders, an independent group of Whitecaps supporters.

“As we’ve seen in other sports and cities in the MLS, naming rights are a huge financial boon for whoever is running the stadium,” Clark said.

“If managing the concessions and parking and other advertising opportunities is another thing the Whitecaps could get out of being the managers, it’s also a positive.”

While the Whitecaps have not officially announced their bid, the team reaffirms that all options are being looked at.