Americanizing the beautiful game : the rise of mainstream American soccer, 1960-2005.

Abstract

This thesis examines the rise of mainstream soccer in the United States from 1960 to 2005 with a national, a regional (Oklahoma), and then a local (Edmond, OK) focus. It argues between 1960 to 2005 conservative-leaning capitalists and politicians redefined mainstream soccer as a commercial investment aimed not to truly popularize the international sport in the United States, but to Americanize it with the mindset of producing capital for them. For example: Alan Rothenberg, a lawyer who conducted the soccer tournament in the 1984 Olympics and coordinated the 1994 World Cup in the United States, established the most recent professional soccer league, Major League Soccer, as a single-entity to promote more revenue earning for the investors. Between 2002 and 2005, MLS considered Edmond, Oklahoma, as a potential new location for an expansion team with a desire to promote soccer in the area and capitalize on the strong youth presence of the sport. Even though the attempt failed, the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education approved funding to the University of Central Oklahoma for renovations to the school's football field Wantland Stadium, which the school needed for the possible expansion club.