CINCINNATI -- FC Cincinnati wants your help using the power of social media to make a big impression on the big leagues.
After a pretty incredible inaugural season, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber will be visiting Cincinnati on Nov. 29 to see what the club's buzz is all about. FC Cincinnati is seeking to be included in future MLS expansion plans, as the league hopes to grow from 20 to 28 teams by the mid- to late-2020s.
That's where you come in: The club has some "save the date" magnets, promoting a town hall meeting with Garber when he visits. To show MLS how much support FC Cincinnati has -- and that the city is excited to host Garber -- the club wants you to take photos of the magnets and tag them with #MLS2CINCY on social media.
"From OTR to The Banks, your locker at school to your favorite pitch or pub, we want to see you cover city so that no matter where the Soccer Don looks, he'll see our club," the team's announcement said.
Don't have a magnet? They're available for free at the club's Downtown shop, along with some pub partners around town.
MLS already has four of eight planned expansion markets in the works, including the addition of Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC in 2017, Los Angeles FC in 2018 and Miami expected to follow, pending a finalized stadium plan. Sacramento Republic and St. Louis FC -- two United Soccer League clubs looking to move up -- also appear to be in the pipeline for probable expansion.
FC Cincinnati has worked its way into the conversation with its record-breaking crowds and impressive performance on the field in its first season. Its average attendance of roughly 17,300 fans is better than five MLS franchises.
The town hall is scheduled for 4 p.m. Nov. 29, with the location to be announced soon.
