Dave Checketts, the former president of the NBA’s New York Knicks and Utah Jazz and Madison Square Garden executive, will run the team which will spend its opening seasons at the Rice-Eccles Stadium. It is expected to push for a new soccer specific stadium and has already started preliminary work into the ambitious project.
Said Checketts: "We have to build a stadium and we will build a stadium because you cannot expect this team to have a permanent presence until we do.
"We're going to invest significant private capital - our own money - in building a stadium."
The new franchise name is expected to be unveiled next month.
Meanwhile, the Chivas USA team will also kick-off for the 2005 season, although details of its expected home in Los Angeles will not be confirmed until next week.
Salt Lake City’s new Major League Soccer team will kick off next season, after it was awarded an expansion as widely predicted.
