New spring Major League Football to locate headquarters, train in Manatee County

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Major League Football is officially coming to Manatee County.

League executives officially announced plans to locate league headquarters and training facilities in Lakewood Ranch at a Friday press conference at Premier Sports Campus where league training camps will be held.

"Today is a historic day as far as Major League Football is concerned," MLFB Chief Executive Officer Jerry Vainisi said. "It is reality day, I guess. A dream come true day of sorts. ... We are delighted and couldn't be happier to announce that our world headquarters is going to be over in Lakewood Ranch."

MLFB, a publicly traded professional spring football league since last July, is scheduled to play its first season in 2016. It will move July 1 into its 9,496-square-foot corporate office, 6239 University Parkway Suite No. 301, Lakewood Ranch.

MLFB, in the works for

more than five years, also considered Arizona, Texas and Orlando for its headquarters and training facilities.

"With the Premier Sports Campus, it almost became a no-brainer for us," Vainisi said. "A facility to me is what it's all about. ... We think it is a win-win for both Manatee County and Major League Football. We are truly, truly thankful and excited about the opportunity."

MLFB was awarded a $200,000-plus incentive package May 19 by the Manatee County Commission. Incentives are performance-based. MLFB will not receive money until it creates 49 jobs over the next five years and puts infrastructure in place.

Economic impact

With venues such as Nathan Benderson Park, IMG Academy and Premier Sports Campus, the region already has a sports performance industry focus. With Major League Football added to the mix, Sean Walter, Bradenton Area Sports Commission director, said: "It completes kind of a resume for us."

"We now have the opportunity to go after new sporting events and tournaments and say: 'Hey, you understand there is Major League Football in our town," Walter said. "With having that in our region, it gives us that credibility that we are going to enjoy going out there and telling people."

Cities where MLFB teams will play may not be places Bradenton normally markets, which will be additional exposure for the area, Walter said.

"It also provides us exposure to other destinations," Walter said. "It will get new tourists coming down here. New market impressions to our beaches, our wonderful museums and other sporting events."

Since 2009, the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. has been working on the sports performance sector of the economy with other community factions.

The Florida sports industry has grown from a $16 billion value in 1999 to an estimated $44 billion industry today, according to Sharon Hillstrom, president and chief executive officer of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. In Bradenton in 2014, visitors spending from sporting events generated approximately $72 million in economic impact, a 34.4 percent increase from 2013, Hillstrom said.

"This is, of course, further proof the Bradenton area is a pride destination that attracts signature sporting events from world-class competition, elite athletes seeking optimal performance and global brands," Hillstrom said. "The fact that they chose to locate here further gives credibility to us being a major destination for any sports performance-related business. It provides the visibility and the awareness of this region being a great place for a major sports entity to locate their corporate headquarters here and also to locate their spring training here."

Hotel shortage

During season in Manatee County, hotel rooms can be hard to come by. With MLFB's training camps taking place during February and March -- the height of season, hotels were "the last pieces of the big puzzles given the fact that you have spring training and regular tourist season," said Frank Murtha, MLFB senior executive vice president. "We were able to accomplish that last piece."

Each of 10 MLFB teams would bring 80 players to training camp plus additional staff and coaches so the number could be around 1,000 people, Murtha said.

"We expect that, much like your two teams here in spring training (Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton and Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota), as our league develops and grows, that the fans will come here," he said.

Hillstrom said area hotels "will realize a significant impact to their business as well as restaurants and other service-related businesses" from the players alone. "It will definitely be an impact."

Hillstrom said MLFB officials recognize the need for more hotels in Manatee County.

"We are keenly aware of that," she said. "There is interest from hotel developers. Certainly nothing that will happen overnight. I would say that in the next three to five years, even sooner than that, we will see hotels popping up in Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding areas."

Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who represents Lakewood Ranch, agreed more hotels are needed.

"That's a great problem to have," she said. "We are growing. People love this area. It's going to mean such a great economic impact for all the businesses in this region. It's a win-win for everyone."

Baugh said MLFB coming to Lakewood Ranch is opening "a new door."

"It doesn't get any better," she said. "It is just a wonderful, wonderful thing for this area and I think it is going to be great for the football players coming in for training. How could you ask for anything better than this area? ... Let's play some football."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published June 6, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "New spring Major League Football to locate headquarters, train in Manatee County ."