This week is the deadline for bids for the next round of MLS expansion, with as many as 12 markets (Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, San Diego, North Carolina, Detroit, Cincinnati, Sacramento, San Antonio, St. Louis, Nashville, Charlotte, and Phoenix) in play for four spots.
The latest controversy is in Sacramento, where the very successful USL team Sacramento Republic FC, long considered a lock for one of these spots, seems to have been the victim of some kind of hostile takeover, with some of the new owners brought in to cover the costs of moving up submitting a Sacramento bid that doesn't involve that brand or the team's original owners.