Minor league franchises come and go in just about every U.S. market, particularly in the traditional "fringe" sports that lack mass appeal.
So, what makes Utah Blitzz owner Dell Nichols and general manager-coach Chris Agnello think their new United Soccer Leagues, Division 3 team will enjoy anything other than a quick exit from the local sports scene?
Well, how much time do you have?
The list of reasons why they believe the Wasatch Front is finally ready to support pro soccer is as long as the playing surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium is wide. And that's 70 yards, by the way, after the Blitzz paid $120,000 to help the University of Utah widen the now-grass playing surface from its 50-yard width for football.
The Blitzz (2-2) begin a 12-game home schedule this weekend at Rice-Eccles — Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Stanislaus United Cruisers (2-0) of Modesto, Calif., and Saturday at 6 p.m. against another California team, the Riverside County Elite (3-2).
Any youths wearing the jersey of the soccer team they play for will be admitted free both nights. Nichols and Agnello know the club's ability to put fannies in the seats will determine how long the Blitzz stick around — and whether they advance to the USL's next level of competition, the A League.
"We're looking to create an opportunity here to capture the progressing level of soccer growth in America, particularly in this state," Nichols said. "And tie it in with a commercial real estate project and use that as an attractor for commercial office space."
That's reason No. 1. Nichols' company doesn't plan to get rich off the Blitzz. Breaking even, at some point, would be nice. But in Nichols' plans, the Blitzz are part of an overall package.
Nichols' ANA Development hopes to break ground this summer on a soccer stadium and 250,000-square-foot office complex at the junction of the 2100 South Freeway (U-201) and I-215 in West Valley City. The stadium will seat at least 3,500 but can be expanded, sooner or later, to seat up to 13,000.
The stadium will be ready for either the 2001 or 2002 season. The number of seats to be installed initially will be determined in large part by how many fans show up this year.
Nichols believes the Utah market is now uniquely suited for outdoor soccer and that the Blitzz "have a potential of being the number two professional sports franchise in this marketplace."
According to the USL, last year's attendance for the 22 teams in its D3 Pro League averaged just under 900 fans per game. The leader was Western Massachusetts with an average attendance of 2,430.
Which leads to Reason No. 2. The USL has been around for nearly 15 years now, formed by a former North American Soccer League executive, Francisco Marcos. It is a network of pro and amateur leagues with nearly 200 teams and an affiliation with Major League Soccer, the highest level of pro soccer in the U.S.
The Blitzz are affiliated with the MLS' Colorado Rapids, who will play an exhibition game against the Blitzz at Rice-Eccles on June 6. Just like in baseball, a Blitzz player could be called up to play for the Rapids during the season.
The USL's top-level league, the A League, includes 25 teams in such markets as Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Montreal. And the attendance average for A League games is not much higher than for the D3 Pro League.
It is conceivable that the Blitzz could move up to the A League in just a season or two, if fan support is strong enough. Teams in Albuquerque and San Francisco made the jump two years ago.
There is the little matter of franchise fees, however. It cost Nichols' company $50,000 to buy a D3 franchise. An A League team currently costs $250,000.
The MLS is Nichols' ultimate goal, but a proven A League franchise is an intermediate step that must be taken — and could just be a perfect fit.
USL officials are well aware of the goals of the Utah Blitzz' ownership group.
"When they came in, they were looking long-term," said Todd Saputo, the USL's manager for D3 Pro League operations. "And having solid financial backing to begin with should be helpful. Also, with Dell being successful in business, he should be able to help attract different sponsors. He comes in with credibility."
Other reasons for optimism in the Blitzz front office:
The local connection. Many of the players are from Utah or played for Utah schools. Home towns represented by Blitzz players include Bountiful, Kaysville and Salt Lake City.
The cultural connection. Each D3 Pro League team is allowed seven foreign-born players on its roster and, not coincidentally, there may be national or ethnic ties within the local community. The Blitzz' international members include Adolfo Ovalle of Santiago, Chile; Damian Munoz of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Carlos Santos of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Gavin Galloway of Dunoon, Scotland; and Glenn Puckrin of Bangor, Northern Ireland.
Foreign players have been a major draw in MLS cities. In Chicago, for example, the Chicago Fire have drawn a considerable fan base from the city's sizable Polish community, in part because of team captain Peter Nowak, a native of Pabianice, Poland.
Love of the game. Perhaps it is cliché, but it is true that a Utah Blitzz player has to love the game or he wouldn't be playing.
Salaries in the D3 Pro League range from nothing — some players actually volunteer — to as much as $5,000 per month for the five-month season, although no Blitzz player will receive that much. Average salaries for an entire team roster average between $100,000 and $125,000, depending on market size, according to the league.
Agnello said the average salary on the Blitzz will be about $1,300 a month. Many of them have day jobs, too.
It takes money to make money. The average D3 team will spend about $400,000 a year, according to the USL, with hopes of making at least that much in return. The Blitzz plan to spend up to $700,000 this year. And while that type of spending over the long run might be damaging, the level of commitment says something about ANA Development's intent to put a quality product on the field — one Utahns can enjoy for more than just a few years.
For more information on the team, click on www.utahblitzz.com.