Judge orders 90-day pause in suit over soccer team’s move

COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio judge has ordered a 90-day pause in a lawsuit that seeks to stop a Major League Soccer team’s proposed move to Austin, Texas.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Franklin County Judge Jeffrey Brown issued the order on Tuesday.

The lawsuit filed by the Ohio attorney general and the city of Columbus cites a law enacted after the original Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996. Under the law, Ohio sports teams using publicly supported facilities must give six months’ notice and allow cities or residents a chance to buy the team.

The city has argued the owners of Crew SC were vague about their notice.

Brown will meet with both parties to determine how to structure a potential sale. Both sides also must help determine the team’s value.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com