Pittsburgh Riverhounds moving to Pittsburgh Mills

The Pittsburgh RiverHounds Soccer Team could find a home at the Pittsburgh Mills.

In what could be a sensational story for the AK Valley, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds could take up residence at the Pittsburgh Mills Complex. In case you didn't know the Riverhounds didn't field a team this year. In years prior they played at Falconi Field in Washington PA, while being owned by the Wild Thing's ownership group. The Riverhounds originally started in USL-1 Division Soccer playing their home games at various high school stadiums. However the team was just purchased by a Greetree group and are looking to relocate for next season, with the Mills complex a very likley option.

The Pittsburgh Mills makes perfect sense, it actually is better than perfect, and could be the most intelligent move a Pittsburgh sports team has made in recent decades.

Here is why this deal probably will happen and some of the reasoning behind their plans.

- The Mills has more than enough open space adjacent to Dick's Sporting Goods.
- The rumors are, Dick's could foot the bill for a $1-2million facility on the vacant property, the company just built $25m+ soccer stadium in Denver.
- The infrastructure and parking are already in place.
- Hotels & Restruntants are right there.
- The Riverhounds need exposure, and with a stadium at Pittsburgh's largest shopping center, they won't be "Out of Sight Out of Mind"
- The Fox Chapel is a very big soccer hotbed, many people don't remember but in the 1950s Harmerville was home to Hamerville S.C. the top soccer team in the country.
- Cranberry / Monroville / Greensburg are a short drive on turnpike.
- Downtown Pittsburgh is just down 28
- The Stores at the Mills will be more than happy for the extra visitors especially in the summer months.
- The WPIAL would host soccer playoffs games there, as well as other soccer tournaments could be staged there.

This deal just makes so much sense, soccer in American along with MLS is growing, and should continue to grow in the future. The Riverhounds will probably bounce between different locations next season till their new venue is ready. TV ratings are up for soccer and continue to trend upward. Pittsburgh is the 22nd largest media market in the US, the Riverhounds will start back up in USL 2nd Division, which is the third largest league behind the MLS and 1st Division. After completing the stadium & facilities, the Riverhounds will likely move up to 1st Division. It's unlikely in the Pittsburgh will ever have an MLS team, I see the league expanding to 20-24 teams, but you never know. At the rate things are going with the League, within 5 years, I would expect many American cities to value an MLS franchise over a NHL franchise. That will probably never be the case in Pittsburgh, but you never know.

This currently is all in the planing stages, but if things fall into to place, this would be a significant event for the AK Valley & Western PA.