Investor Group Submits MLS Expansion Bid for Las Vegas

An investor group led by Las Vegas businessman Grant Gustavson has submitted a bid to Major League Soccer to bring a professional soccer team to Las Vegas, the group confirmed Thursday.

The group submitted a bid for consideration to the MLS league office. MLS confirmed it received the proposal but declined further comment.

Gustavson, 30, has lived in Las Vegas since 2017. He is the grandson of B. Wayne Hughes, co-founder of Public Storage and American Homes 4 Rent, and was mentored by Hughes before his death in 2021. His mother, Tamara Hughes Gustavson, the largest shareholder in Public Storage, has a net worth of $8.4 billion according to Forbes.

The investment group said it will privately finance the endeavor. According to R&R Partners, the Las Vegas public relations firm representing the group, the bid is not connected to any of the recently announced arena ideas in Las Vegas.

In a statement, R&R Partners spokesperson Jacqueline Peterson said: "Las Vegas is known the world over as a welcoming destination for millions of people each year and has a growing, passionate community of soccer fans. An investor group, led by Grant Gustavson, submitted a bid for consideration to the MLS League Office. The investment group will privately finance this endeavor and is not connected to any of the recently announced arena ideas in Las Vegas."

The group said it is refraining from sharing details of the proposal out of respect for the league's deliberations and community stakeholders, and that further information will be shared in the coming weeks and months