Vancouver Officials Unite to Keep Whitecaps Soccer Team from Relocating

The City of Vancouver, the government of British Columbia, First Nations leaders, and the owners of BC Place are collaborating with unnamed private partners to prevent the Whitecaps from relocating, potentially to Las Vegas.

On Thursday, they issued a joint statement outlining their efforts to retain the MLS team. The statement emphasized their commitment to “improving the game day economic model at BC Place, exploring additional sponsorship opportunities, and advancing work on potential sites for a new stadium and development.”

“Let’s be clear: Vancouver is open for business. We are doing everything we can to keep the Whitecaps here, and we are committed to building a long-term solution that reflects the scale, ambition, and global future of this city,” the joint statement said.

On May 1, The Athletic reported a formal offer had been made to purchase the Whitecaps and move the team to Las Vegas. This bid was submitted to the league office by a group of investors led by Grant Gustavson, the son of Kentucky billionaire Tamara Gustavson and grandson of Public Storage founder B. Wayne Hughes.

The Whitecaps were originally founded in 1974 as a member of the North American Soccer League before being revived as an MLS franchise in 2009. The team has been up for sale since December 2024.

In response, fans in Vancouver have launched a “Save The Caps” movement to keep the club in British Columbia. The Whitecaps are one of three MLS clubs in Canada, along with Toronto FC and CF Montreal.