Jonathan Kraft will help decide future MLS expansion sites

New England Revolution investor/operator Jonathan Kraft will help decide where MLS will go next as a member of the expansion committee put together by Commissioner Don Garber.

On Thursday, Garber outlined his plan for future expansion, saying that prospective sites must submit an application by Jan. 31, 2017. After reviewing the material, a series of in-person meetings will be conducted to determine which sites will be granted a team.

Kraft is one of five MLS owners who will serve on the expansion committee. The other members are Andrew Hauptman (Chicago Fire), Anthony Precourt (Columbus Crew SC), Phil Rawlins (Orlando City SC), and Jay Sugarman (Philadelphia Union).

When asked about Kraft’s inclusion, Garber gave a glowing review of the New England executive.

“Jonathan Kraft obviously is a very experienced sports executive, and a guy that worked at Bain and has a lot of financial acumen,” Garber praised.

As of right now, the league is expected to grow to 28 teams. There are currently ownership groups from 10 markets that have publicly expressed interest in joining MLS: Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa/St. Petersburg.