Atlanta MLS owner Arthur Blank has challenged supporters of his yet-to-be-named team to pledge to purchase 29,000 season tickets by years end.
Founders Club memberships a group through which tickets can be secured were going to be capped at 5,000 when Blank introduced the franchise earlier this year. Not only have almost all of the $50 memberships been sold, but those members have pledged to purchase almost 14,500 season tickets as of last week.
The team doesnt even begin play until 2017.
Because the demand remains, Blank last week said the Founders Club membership will be expanded to 10,000 and he wants the potential new members to pledge to buy 11,000 more tickets before the end of the year. The total of 29,000 would sell out the lower bowl of the new stadium.
Should those pledges be converted to purchases, Atlanta could sell more tickets than any MLS expansion franchise.
Seattle, considered the model franchise, sold a league-best 22,000 season tickets in 2009. Toronto sold 14,000 in 2007. Portland sold 12,500 in 2011. Philadelphia capped its season tickets at 12,000 and sold out in 2010.
Blank has said in the past that hed love for some games to fill the 71,000 seats that comprise the lower and upper bowls of the stadium.