The Vancouver Whitecaps will have upwards of 54,000 fans at their MLS Cup playoff match against LAFC on Nov. 22, but their future at BC Place Stadium and in the city remains in doubt.
In Dec. 2024, the club announced it was seeking new ownership while reiterating its desire to remain in the Western Canadian market.
After signing German superstar Thomas Müller and finishing second in the Western Conference in 2025, ownership adjusted their plans, indicating it was seeking an additional investor. Yet, unlike many of MLS clubs, the Whitecaps do not own their stadium; they rent BC Place, a government-owned facility, and take home little revenue share from matchdays.
“There is a possibility [of relocation] and that's not the path we want to be on,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber at a media event in Vancouver this week. “Those restrictions and those challenges make it untenable for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Economically, they don’t participate in any revenue.
“I’m here on a mission to try and figure out ways we can capitalize on all the success of this club... to try to move from being successful on the field and having community connections while being in the bottom of our 30 teams in revenue, and in the top between 50-25% in attendance.”
A New Stadium Likely Needed
Garber has reiterated his hope of keeping the Whitecaps in Vancouver, but ruled out the club remaining at BC Place in its current form long-term.
The Whitecaps’ lease at BC Place expires at the end of 2025, and there is no deal for the 2026 season and beyond, something Garber took blame for, saying “that’s reckless, on my part.”
At the same time, the MLS schedule also has to tailor itself to the Whitecaps and BC Place’s availability. In 2024, the Whitecaps had to play a “home” playoff match in Portland against the Portland Timbers due to bookings at BC Place.
The end goal is a soccer-specific stadium owned by the club, something the Whitecaps have previously explored. In the spring, the club expressed its interest in building a stadium at the Pacific National Exhibition, a space outside downtown near where the Whitecaps opened their MLS tenure in 2011 at a temporary venue.
“Could you imagine having a dynamic where you’re giving dates and our entire league is going to manage that around one team’s available dates? The date situation alone is untenable,” Garber said.
“That is not what we're trying to build in Major League Soccer. We think that [the PNE stadium plan] could be really interesting for what we're trying to achieve.”
BC Place Likely for Short Term
The Whitecaps and MLS are seeking a better short-term stadium deal at BC Place. Garber even urged the provincial government to hand over operations of BC Place to the Whitecaps and MLS so they can harness advertising opportunities, such as naming rights for the stadium.
“We have a suboptimal stadium situation, and we’re trying to fix that. And there’s a short-term fix that’s very specific: We want a better lease at BC Place, and the club has made a very specific request about that,” Garber told reporters.
“This just requires a different vision and a different way to go about thinking about what a path forward can be. I view that optimistically.”
Say cheese 📸🧀 pic.twitter.com/Hb7QTIfPM1
— X - Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) November 5, 2025
Unlike some newer MLS clubs, the Whitecaps did not require a soccer-specific stadium to join the league in 2011. Comparatively, it has since become a near pre-requisite for Inter Miami, Austin FC, FC Cincinnati, San Diego FC and other expansion sides.
While there is no timeline for a potential new stadium, MLS and the Whitecaps will continue to look for a new home, even if it means returning to the less-than-ideal BC Place for 2026, as the stadium also prepares to host seven matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“The dream scenario,” said Garber, “is a great lease with a great partnership with BC Place and a parallel path with some North Star (towards a soccer-specific stadium).”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Commissioner Rules on MLS Cup Favorite’s Stadium Relocation Plans.
