New York Jets eye on MLS franchise

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The National Football League (NFL) club is considering investing in a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. The Jets, who are developing plans for a proposed 80,000-seat stadium, have identified fifteen acres in Flushing Meadows as a possible site. Although negotiations with officials are only at a preliminary stage local residents are concerned because four football pitches lie on the site. "I think there's a perception out there that we're just taking the fields and we have no intention of replacing them," said Matt Higgins, vice-president of strategic planning for the Jets. "We want to go in the other direction; we want to embrace soccer."

Higgins went on to reveal that not only would the fields be restored, but MLS officials have already approved a second franchise for New York City which would play in the Jets’ new facility. However, the cost of the stadium and the team have yet to be determined as the Jets are also considering sharing a stadium with NFL rivals the New York Giants, who are planning to build a new 80,000-seat stadium in the Meadowlands in New Jersey.