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MLS denies scouting new grounds for Columbus stadium

Kirk Irwin / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Major League Soccer wasted little time to dash quietly growing hopes that the Columbus Crew could continue to exist despite a planned move to Austin.

A report emerged earlier Thursday from ABX 6's Clay Hall stating league officials had recently embarked on an aerial tour of Columbus and subsequently approved a proposed location for a new downtown stadium as well as a new training facility.

But in a statement provided to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, MLS shut down the rumblings that it was actively exploring a new home for the Crew to potentially live on elsewhere in Ohio's capital.

"There is no truth to the report that MLS officials took an aerial tour of Columbus last week or signed off on any potential stadium site," the league said.

Related: Columbus and Austin can coexist if MLS stands by its supposed values

The Crew's owners, Precourt Sports Ventures, have drawn scrutiny from the team's fans since announcing last October that they would consider a relocation to Austin if they could not secure a new stadium in downtown Columbus. But fan acrimony toward management reached a new height with the unveiling of Austin FC's logo last week, which bore a striking resemblance to a banner used by Columbus supporters as part of the Save The Crew movement.

Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer, whose organization hopes to find the Crew new owners in an effort to "improve the economic vitality of the Columbus Region," corroborated the league's official statement, insisting to Carlisle that he would have been made aware if MLS officials attempted to find another home in Columbus for the team.

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