Charlotte’s bid to gain a Major League Soccer expansion place has been given a significant boost after digital financial services company Ally was named the proposed team’s founding and lead partner.
As part of a multi-year agreement, Ally would become MLS Charlotte’s main jersey sponsor. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
MLS plans to name its 28th and 29th teams around the All-Star Game slated for July 31 in Orlando, Florida, against Atletico Madrid. St. Louis and Sacramento are the favorites to land these spots.
But David Tepper, the owner of National Football League team Carolina Panthers, has ramped up his efforts to land an MLS team by meeting with league officials in New York City in recent weeks and demonstrating meaningful local corporate support. Ally is based in Detroit, Michigan, but has a significant presence in Charlotte.
The Panthers have also secured commitments from 60 companies willing to pay $100,000 each per season to lease luxury suites at Bank of America Stadium for MLS matches if a team is awarded to Tepper.
Charlotte staged the International Champions Cup House of Soccer fan fest on Friday and Saturday, which was sponsored by Ally. Arsenal and ACF Fiorentina also met in the competition at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, drawing an announced crowd of 34,902 fans. It was the smallest ICC crowd in Charlotte since 2014.