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10 Hartford Business Journal • August 6, 2018 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By Joe Cooper jcooper@HartfordBusiness.com I n temporary offices overlooking Dillon Stadium, Hartford Ath- letic's soccer brass is beginning a nine-month sprint to build Connecticut's lone unaffiliated sports franchise. Since its July 11 introduction to the United Soccer League, the Division II pro soccer team has rearranged a Colt Armory apartment into offices for about a half-dozen employees with a clear view of the overgrown greenery canvassing historic Dillon Stadium. Hartford Sports Group (HSG) CEO and Chairman Bruce Mandell said he's confident his investor group, including co-partners Joseph Calafiore Jr. and Scott Schooley, will turn a profit by 2021. HSG is sinking up to $10 million in the franchise and is focusing on nu- merous revenue streams to make the project solvent: ticket sales for at least 16 home games; corporate sponsor- ships; stadium naming rights; mer- chandise; and concession sales. More than 1,000 fans have already committed to season tickets at the soon- to-be 6,000-seat Dillon Stadium, which will undergo a major renovation before opening day April 2019. The Capital Re- gion Development Authority will oversee the facility's upcoming renovations, to be financed through a $10 million com- mitment from the state Bond Commis- sion for an all-purpose artificial turf field and other upgrades to nearby Colt Park. Meantime, HSG aims to procure $1 million in corporate sponsorships by its first home game. "This is going to be a success," said Mandell, who is pairing experience running his family's Newington-based direct mail company, Data-Mail Inc., with his love for soccer. "Operationally, I don't want to lose." Unlike the Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, and the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, HSG is operating as an inde- pendent franchise. Mandell's group has discussed partnerships to swap players with Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, New York City FC or New York Red Bulls, but will not entertain a direct relationship. Mandell said he and his partners want to retain full ownership rights, which will allow them to collect a larger cut of revenues from sponsorships, concessions and ticket and merchandise sales. "We want to own Hartford's team and we don't want to give up any of that control," Mandell said. "We can have relationships with anyone we want," he said, adding the Revolution have provided crucial advice on navigating the pro soccer landscape in New England. HSG's operational independence also allows more flexibility to build its roughly 27-player roster from soccer's massive national and international tal- ent pool, Mandell said. Building a brand For Mandell and his HSG partners — Calafiore Jr., a Hartford building contrac- tor and Schooley, a Hartford investment- fund manager — operating a soccer team in Hartford is about sustainable, long-term development in the region. The group is rapidly hiring a staff that will reach up to 24 employees by November as the team establishes its ticket pricing, lures local and national corporate sponsors and negotiates the stadium naming rights to potentially the highest bidder. Sponsorship spots on uniforms and signage and stadium naming rights garner between $1.5 million to $2.5 million for most USL clubs, league of- ficials said. Over the next few months the Athletic will begin coaxing corporate sponsors for hundreds of signs around Dillon Sta- dium. Mandell has set a $1 million spon- sorship goal by opening day in April. The team is also working to identify unique sales strategies to sell food and beverages to fans who may not leave their seats during two continuous 45-minute halves. Merchandising is also a key compo- nent to the team's revenue strategy. Mandell says the team is currently refining the Athletic's logo and brand under a blue and green color scheme established and honed by the Hartford Whalers and Yard Goats. He's hoping team shirts, scarves and other memo- rabilia become as popular as Yard Goats-branded gear. "Once we establish our brand and logo, we are going to be selling a ton of mer- chandise over the next month," he said. TV exposure is also vital to the USL, which has grown from 11 teams at its inception in 2011 to 33 teams in 2018. The Athletic this fall will learn its schedule, including how many games will air on USL's media partner, ESPN. While ESPN will air Athletic games occasionally in local and national mar- kets, all USL matches air on the over- the-top subscription service ESPN+ and online streaming service ESPN3. The Athletic will also seek local broadcast partners to further the team's exposure. "We have free rein to cut any deal we want," Mandell said. "As it grows over the next three to 10 years, we are really trying to broaden our media dollars." The investment group has com- mitted to paying USL a one-time, $7 million franchise fee in addition to an Booting Up How Hartford Athletic plans to build CT's next sports brand (Main photo) Hartford Athletic's co-owners (from left): Joe Calafiore, Bruce Mandell, and Scott Schooley stand with United Soccer League President Jake Edwards. (Above photo) A recently released rendering of a redeveloped Dillon Stadium. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED RENDERING | JCJ ARCHITECTS