Balancing Purpose, Performance, and Profit: St. Louis CITY SC
St. Louis CITY SC: A Winning Start
After a record-breaking inaugural season, St. Louis CITY SC finds itself at a pivotal moment. With packed stadiums, soaring jersey sales, and a loyal fan base, the team has quickly become a model for how professional sports can fuel civic pride and economic momentum.
The timing was perfect, with major global soccer events coming to the U.S. and a new Apple TV deal expanding the league’s reach worldwide. From the outside, few could imagine a better start for a brand-new franchise. But with other clubs bringing big international stars into their teams, the club's owners — Carolyn Kindle and the Taylor family — started to look to the future.
Challenges on the Horizon
Despite the success, CEO Carolyn Kindle faced strategic dilemmas. Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami ignited a surge in MLS visibility, but also intensified the race for talent worldwide. While marquee signings could drive interest, unchecked spending risked echoing the financial collapse of the North American Soccer League in the 1970s.
Purpose Beyond Performance
For the Taylor family, ownership is about more than wins or profits. It's about fueling St. Louis’s economic growth, civic pride, and community engagement. Initiatives like free youth soccer programs strengthened local ties, but sustaining both purpose and competitive performance would require creative and balanced leadership.
Read the full case study (PDF)A Different Kind of Ownership
St. Louis CITY SC’s bid stood out with a majority female-owned leadership team, no reliance on public funding, and a deep-rooted commitment to the city—marking a sharp contrast from typical MLS ownership models. Hear from Carolyn Kindle and Lee Broughton on what motivated this distinctive approach.
Shining a Light on a Sport (and a City)
With the striking success of the St. Louis CITY SC, Neal Richardson, President and CEO of St. Louis Development Corporation, speaks on how the club is bringing cascading impact to the region.
Planning the Next Chapter for St. Louis CITY SC
St. Louis CITY SC and the Koch Center for Family Enterprise co-hosted a first-of-its-kind case competition where more than 35 undergraduate and graduate teams from across the country were asked to answer one question:
How should the Taylor family—the team’s owners—and the team allocate resources in the next five years to best balance performance on the pitch, financial return on investment and development of the broader region, both culturally and economically?
The groups were challenged to analyze St. Louis CITY SC's finances and examine opportunities to fulfill the prompt. The ask brought over 30 unique recommendations for the new Major League Soccer team to consider as it looks ahead to its future.
Watch the Competition ResultsMore About This Project
- Project background and materials
-
Case competition winning teams
Undergraduate
- First Place: Arch Consulting ($5,000)
- Members (all from WashU): Emilia de Jounge, Rahul Chavali, Arman Patel and Bell Riley.
- Second Place: Emory Goizueta ($2,500)
- Members (all from Emory Goizueta Business School): Yashonandan Kakrania, Konik Mitra, Hemansi Agarwal and Jillian Wu.
- Third Place: KAMI ($1,500)
- Members (all from WashU): Kevin Chen, Avery Seo and Issace Herrera.
Graduate
- First Place: Monte Carlo ($7,500)
- Members (all from WashU): Aarushee Agrawal and Amatya Agarwal.
- Second Place: EMBA 58 Pitch Profit Pros ($5,000)
- Members (all from WashU): Erin Nazetta, Cyndee England, Eric Ricker and Carrie Hanichak.
- Third Place: WashU MBA in Futbol ($2,500)
- Members (all from WashU): Felipe Zwanzger, Nathan Wild, Drew Piontek and Ryan Bowman.
- First Place: Arch Consulting ($5,000)
-
Case competition judges
- Peter Boumgarden, Olin's Koch Family Professor of Practice in Family Enterprise; Director of the Koch Family Center for Family Enterprise
- Peter Thein, COO of St. Louis CITY SC
- Andrew Martin, chancellor of Washington University
- John Thee, president of the Taylor Family Office
- Jennifer Wintzer, associate director of the Koch Family Center for Family Enterprise
- Mike Mazzeo, dean of Washington University's Olin School of Business
Explore More Research
Values and data take center stage for futbol-focused case competition
February 26, 2024
3 minute read
Stadiums don’t have to be a drain on taxpayer dollars − 4 lessons from St. Louis
Saturday, October 12, 2024