The Great Park Board, on Tuesday, Oct. 10, unanimously agreed to enter into a new contract with the Orange County Soccer Club that could ensure 10 more years for the United Soccer League club in Irvine. 

The new five year contract, with an optional five year extension, remains very similar to the club’s current agreement with the Great Park, and allows for priority scheduling of 18 home games and for up to four playoff games.

The new agreement also gives Irvine some additional options for advertising revenue through  designated areas around the stadium — revenue which will be split 80% to 20% between OCSC and Irvine.

The new partnership, according Irvine City Manager Oliver Chi, is projected to generate $300,000 to $500,000 annually through facility fees and the advertising revenue.

However, without the anticipated 80/20 percentage split from sponsorship, Chi estimated that the annual revenue from the city would be roughly $300,000. 

“Ultimately what this contemplates isn’t that the soccer club is there every day of the year. It  contemplates them using the stadium for 18 games a year and the net revenue the city generates off that through this agreement that’s guaranteed to be roughly $300,000 a year,” Chi explained.

Irvine leaders were also quick to remove language from the contract that would have given OCSC exclusive rights to pursue third-party sponsorship for the stadium’s naming rights. 

The aspect of including naming rights in the new contract received the most pushback from Great Park Board Director Tammy Kim who explained that naming rights had become a point of contention during discussions with Live Nation. 

“This is exactly the issue I have with the Live Nation deal and the amphitheater,” Kim said. “If we are going to decide to offer naming rights, then this needs to be ours and ours alone — meaning 100% the city of Irvine. Now we can decide to pay a broker’s fee and I’m fine with that type of arrangement. But, I am not okay with giving to any entity.” 

As an alternative to the removal of naming rights sponsorship, Irvine City Attorney Jeff Melching provided a statement that would enable discussions involving the subject of potential naming rights to continue at a later date. In addition to the continuance of discussions, the provision allows OCSC to market naming rights, with Irvine maintaining final approval of all potential sponsors.     

“Nothing in this provision precludes either: A) Orange County Soccer Club discussing stadium rights with third parties. Or B) the city and Orange County Soccer Club negotiating a separate agreement that provides for among other things, the allocation of revenues from naming rights. Provided, however, that any agreement for the granting of stadium naming rights remains subject to City Council review and approval in its sole and absolute discretion,” Melching’s statement read.

Irvine leaders also approved the new contract without any discussion regarding the stadium’s annual cost of operation. 

In 2022, a staff report indicated that annual maintenance fees associated with the grass-turf stadium ranged between $500,000 – $700,000 per year.

With this new contract, Irvine is set to spend $3.5 million on maintenance costs for Championship Stadium over the next five years — $7 million over the next decade. 

While Irvine is expecting an annual return of approximately $300,000 a year from OCSC, which is equal to $3 million over the next decade. With the current contract, the city of Irvine will lose approximately $4 million on stadium costs over the next 10 years.

In addition to OCSC, Championship Stadium will also be used by other local clubs Zeta FC and the Strikers FC.

The agreement comes as the current Memorandum of Understanding, which permits OCSC’s use of Championship Stadium within the Great Park, is set to expire on November 30. 

Last September there was worry that OCSC might be evicted from Championship Stadium given Irvine’s discussions with the L.A. Galaxy II for Division 3 use. 

However, dozens of protesters opposed the move and OCSC was able to secure a one-year agreement with the city, despite community reports that OCSC’s schedule at Championship Stadium was making it difficult for other groups to access the stadium.   

With the 2023 contract official, Dan Rutstein, OCSC President of Business Operations, said in a statement that he is looking forward to celebrating the future of OCSC with fans in Irvine and throughout Orange County. 

“We are delighted to ink this deal that gives our fans and our community the security and

certainty they’ve craved for so long,” Rutstein said. “The last 12 months have been an uncertain time for our fans and we’re delighted to have secured this new deal. We’re incredibly grateful to the Great Park Board, the Irvine City Council, as well as the City of Irvine Staff, led by City Manager Oliver Chi. Our fans wake up today knowing we will be playing at this beautiful stadium until 2033 – when we will be able to have a 20-year celebration.”

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