By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
October 28, 2013
It’s been a busy few weeks for the sports business in Florida as several teams in various sports have made headlines.
We start out tour of the state in Orlando, where Orlando City Soccer Club could have a MLS expansion deal in place by late November if the team finalizes plans to build a new stadium. MLS has made a soccer-specific stadium a requirement for Orlando to secure an expansion team. The team’s plan would be to join MLS for the 2015 season.
Heading to Miami, the Dolphins debuted upgraded Wi-Fi and cell phone networks at Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins and team sponsor AT&T spent five months installing more than 1,100 access points throughout the stadium. The system, the first of its kind in Florida, only benefits AT&T customers.
Finally, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning announced the creation of the Governor’s Cup, an annual competition between the state’s two pro hockey teams. The winner of the annual season series will be awarded the Cup following the final matchup of the season, and each team will make a donation to the other team’s youth hockey initiatives.
