Meanwhile, lawmakers also were talking of a sports commission that could be created to administer funds for the stadium. No one was claiming credit for the idea, but several bills could accomplish that goal.

One might be SB167, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price. The bill would create a new Utah Sports Authority that could potentially manage any sports programs or facilities that receive state money.

Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, said the bill would coordinate with another bill he is sponsoring, HB254. Under HB254, which was approved by a legislative committee last week, the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission would shift oversight from the Department of Commerce to the Utah Sports Authority.

"It's an appropriate home for the boxing commission," Hughes said, adding he did not know about the idea to use the agency to fund a soccer stadium. "My focus is on the sport of boxing."

Sen. Ed Mayne, D-West Valley, is sponsoring a similar bill, SB162. The goal of both bills is to protect amateur and professional boxing in the state, Mayne said. He and Hughes are working together and will probably add similar substitutions, he said, and they anticipate the bills working with the Utah Sports Authority.

As for the Real stadium project being under the sports authority, Mayne said that is not part of his bill. But bills can be changed or substituted, and there's some suggestion that could happen to one of the Senate bills in the House.

As for other sources of funding, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. told the Deseret Morning News on Thursday that "all the options are on the table" and that the issue was too important for him to speculate on the success of any particular idea.

Soccer was a topic of the governor's regular weekly meeting with legislative leaders on Wednesday. While no decisions were made, several options were discussed, including using the transient room tax, according to Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem. The Senate leader, however, said he had not heard about the creation of a sports commission to administer the funds.

Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan said he knows there's discussion amongst the state officials about stadium funding, but Sandy cannot offer more money to keep it in the city.

"We still have hopes for Real," he said. "It's just up to somebody else besides us now."

Meanwhile, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson would not discuss details of his ongoing work with lawmakers and the governor. Those talks are aimed at reaching the goal of keeping the team in Utah, but he also suggested Thursday that a solution would come from lawmakers.

"I think that there will be a proposed legislative solution, and if the stadium ends up in Sandy, I totally support it," he said. "If it ends up at the State Fairpark, of course, I think that's a great result."

Anderson said that whatever happens, it will be now or never. "That has got to happen very quickly or this team is going to be sold," the mayor said. "I'm talking about days, not weeks."

---

Contributing: Doug Smeath and Leigh Dethman

E-mail: astowell@desnews.com; lisa@desnews.com