by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Republic FC announced on Wednesday that the Sacramento Kings have become investors in the team. Republic FC’s lead investor Kevin Nagle is a minority owner of the Kings.

“We shared early on out desire to have the Sacramento Kings as a part of our efforts to secure MLS for Sacramento,” said Nagle. “Their investment in FC, and support of out bid for expansion rights, is just one reason more reason why we are “Built for MLS.”

“This is another major step in revitalizing downtown and making the entire Sacramento region an even better place to work, live and play. We’re committed to our vision of making Sacramento the world class city its citizens deserve,” – said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé.

“Vivek and the Kings have brought visionary leadership to Sacramento,” said Mayor Kevin Johnson. “They are the perfect partners for the City of Sacramento and Sacramento Republic FC in this transformational opportunity. All of us are building Sacramento into a city that will set the example for the way sports and culture interact with American cities in the future.”

Additional details about the partnership will be released in tonight’s State of the City address.

Sacramento is a finalist for what is believed to be the final franchise in the next round of expansion by Major League Soccer. Minneapolis-St. Paul and Las Vegas are also vying for the franchise opportunity.

Sacramento has identified space in the Railyards Development in downtown Sacramento as the location for a soccer only stadium. MLS is believed to be partial to downtown stadiums for its franchises.