As it turns out, it's much more complicated than that. The issue is that there are two distinct business entities involved. The first is the club, Sacramento Republic FC. Contrary to published reports, multiple sources stated that while Nagle is a "large investor" in SRFC, he doesn't have a controlling interest. The controlling interest lies with team president and founder Warren Smith.
The other entity is the aforementioned Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings. It is this entity that Nagle controls, and according to the sources, this is also the entity into which Whitman, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York and the Sacramento Kings have invested. Perhaps more importantly, the plan for a stadium -- already approved by the city of Sacramento -- and the corporate support that has been directed toward that effort are tied up with SS&EH.
Throughout Sacramento's expansion effort, the two sides have projected a united front, including the effort to finalize a stadium plan. It was done with the understanding that Nagle would handle the MLS bid, while Smith would focus on running SRFC. Essentially, what is happening now is that for months, the two entities have been engaged in talks to merge, and they are haggling over the price.
The hope had been that a deal would be completed prior to the Jan. 31 filing deadline for MLS expansion candidates. One wasn't, so it was SS&EH representative Kunal Merchant who presented the bid book to MLS executive vice president Mark Abbott, and there was no mention of Sacramento Republic FC. A source close to Nagle added that SRFC didn't give permission to SS&EH to use their name or logo in the bid book. But with the deadline looming, the bid had to be submitted, so it was done without any reference to SRFC.
