Soccer League Drops the Ball on Fullerton

A proposed women’s professional soccer league will not begin next spring, leaving Cal State Fullerton without a tenant to generate revenue to complete stadium improvements.

The National Soccer Alliance announced in September that it planned an eight-team league that would include a Southern California team based at Cal State Fullerton. Ron Bond, director of the Titans’ sports complex, said the league and the school never signed a lease agreement. In the absence of an agreement, Bond said, he had continued to book events through next spring and summer.

Bond remains interested in bringing a professional soccer team to Titan Stadium, hoping to make enough money to complete restrooms, concession stands, additional seats and locker rooms for teams and officials.

“If we get a long-term client, we can generate some revenue to finish off the stadium,” he said.

Although the league had secured commitments to play from all the members of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, according to NSA development consultant Jennifer Rottenberg, the league had not received sanction from the U.S. Soccer Federation. With sanctioning uncertain--U.S. Soccer was wary of starting a pro league before the United States hosts the 1999 Women’s World Cup, and the federation made no promises for approval even for a 2000 debut--the NSA investors bowed out over the weekend.

“It came as a surprise,” Rottenberg said. “At this point, there isn’t a backup financing plan.”

Rottenberg is confident a women’s soccer league will succeed.

“I think it’s a can’t-miss,” she said. “Unfortunately, the consistency of our financing wasn’t right.”

Although the NSA could have began as scheduled in April, the absence of sanctioning left open the possibility of U.S. Soccer later starting its own league.