Midway Rising Developer and Todd Gloria’s Top Campaign Contributor Is an Owner of New San Diego Soccer Team

Brad Termini

Did anyone else notice it?

Amidst all the hoopla and genuine joy over the recent announcement that San Diego will have a major league soccer team, is the little-emphasized fact that Brad Termini — the Midway Rising developer and Mayor Gloria’s top campaign contributor — is one of the owners of the new franchise. A minority one, yes, but one nevertheless.

Yesterday’s U-T gave us an insight into the whole origin story and with a nod towards Termini’s role.

“The genesis of the San Diego ownership group began at a December 2020 dinner with Sycuan Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez and local developer Brad Termini, sharing their mutual interest in pursing an MLS franchise. A month later, Termini got a call from Brent Lawrence, the founder of sports investment firm in Manhattan Beach, about a minor league sports opportunity. Termini switched subjects to MLS and San Diego. Lawrence was familiar with both ….”

And the rest is sports history.

So, Termini was there at the genesis. By then — December 2020 — Faulconer was out as mayor and Faulconer’s favorite team to redevelop the Sports Arena area would also be soon on the way out the door. The new mayor, Todd Gloria, would choose his own team.

Newly-elected, Gloria had some big thanks to give Termini as the developer was candidate Gloria’s largest campaign contributor.

So, by time Brad Termini had dinner with Sycuan Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez about pursing an MLS franchise, he already had an ace in the hole: Gloria.

Termini was thinking ahead, like all good capitalists, and perhaps he already knew he would be bringing together his own team – Midway Rising – to bid on the Sports Arena redevelopment gambit. And one of the biggest chunks of his plans was a new arena.

Gloria would come to like the idea too – even despite critics complaining that the new mayor was placing too much emphasis on an arena and not enough on affordable housing. There would be a new arena. Period.

And if Termini was an owner of a major sports team that would play at the new arena he just built, he definitely had it good.

Where’s Brad? Can you find Brad Termini?

So on Thursday, when all those good people got up on the stage before the crowd at the announcement of a new franchise, Gloria was there — as was Brad Termini, basking in the rays of good sports tidings.