Expansion?

[heavesrock]

Does anyone know if the Northern League has any plans for expansion in the near future? Some cities I would like to see have teams are Rapid City, Green Bay, Terre Haute, Decatur, and possibly Waukegan, IL.

[nlfan]

We've discussed NoL expansion quite a lot in my forums (http://p200.ezboard.com/fnlfanmessageboardfrm1) and only a couple of the cities you list have ever come up.

Green Bay is a fan favorite but the NWL is moving in there.

Battle Creek was contacted by the league office but the NWL is moving in there too.

The league also was looking into Canadian expansion in Saskatchewan with Saskatoon and Regina.

Topeka was under consideration for sometime but the city would not agree to the terms the owner had for building a new ballpark with a retractible roof --yes a minor league ballpark with a retractible roof.

Wichita, with the departure of the Wranglers to Springdale AK (another location the NoL was interested in) is a possibility.

Detroit suburbs have been discussed in years past and Pontiac was in contention but nothing has come of those efforts over the past 6 years.

The real problem the NoL faces is, with the defection of the four clubs from its center last year, it now has significant competition with AA, FL, NWL and any of the MiLB --not to mention the UBL (which is struggling) and the CoBL (which is trying to get started). For example the AA is looking in Pueblo and Denver which is more practical than it would be for the NoL.

It also hasn't helped that the NoL standards of new ballparks in suburban locations has pretty much played itself out --there aren't many viable locations in which to expand. Another problem is that nearly all expansion will increase travel costs (which they're trying to address next season with a really UN-balanced scheduled with 5-game series).

For more information you should read through the archived content in my forums where there are many expansion discussions from the past several years.

[nksports]

Wichita, with the departure of the Wranglers to Springdale AK (another location the NoL was interested in) is a possibility.

The Wranglers have one more year. (The stadium won't be built in time and the Univ. of Arkansas said no way to having games there, so the team had no where else to go) Officials from both the Northern and AA have expressed interest. Anyone coming in probably has to make nice with the NBC (college summer tournament, the only part of the Wranglers to consitently draw fans and make money) to not tick off the fans and the city (who own the ballpark) (which means a nice 2 1/2-week road trip in the beginning of August).

If nobody comes in (which I don't see happening), the city will fill the ballpark up with NBC regular-season games, mid-season tournaments and maybe a few other types of baseball tournaments.
They moved the NBC Midwest Regionals back to the stadium and the city just signed a long term deal for the NJCAA Region VI (state) junior college tournament.

The NL's advantage in Wichita would be a rivalry with the T-Bones. The AA has the Lincoln and St. Joe teams, along with several other ex-Texas League cities (Shreveport and El Paso).

[nlfan]

I should have emphasized/pointed out that all expansion would be in 2008 at the earliest. The NoL schedule is already out.

One big help for an AA team in Wichita is that it would be (close to) the center of the league. The AA teams nearby include Ft. Worth (360 mi.), St. Joe (241 mi.), Lincoln (280 mi.). Mid-range distances would include Sioux City (470 mi.), Shreveport (548 mi.), Sioux Falls (551 mi.). The outer limits would be Pensacola (1080 mi.) followed by El Paso (860 mi.), Robstown (753 mi.), and St. Paul (641 mi.).

In the NoL it would be the southern edge and, other than KCK (200 mi.), have long trips to Chicago (700 mi. min.), Fargo (800 mi.)/Winnipeg (1000 mi.) and Alberta (1800 mi. min.).

Given fuel costs --especially airfare (not to mention the issues with international travel)-- an AA club would be a better fit geographically.

The NoL's best expansion areas have really more easterly; expanding from the Chicago trio; unfortunately the FL has taken most of the best locations available and even got the new ballpark being built in Marion IL (which certainly had to have interested the NoL).

[Shootmaster_44]

The league also was looking into Canadian expansion in Saskatchewan with Saskatoon and Regina.

I've heard this rumor for many, many years back to the days of the Riot and Cyclones of the NCL. What has been the drawback to coming into Saskatchewan by the Northern League? I always hear Saskatoon and Regina mentioned by the league, but no specifics are ever mentioned as to why they don't expand here. The only problem I can see with Saskatoon is that Carins Field is just too old for the Northern League. With stadiums such as the one in Calgary (who's name escapes me) and CanWest Global Park in Winnipeg, Carins Field just doesn't come in on the same level.

[nlfan]

Which is pretty clear to anyone who's researched the facility. About all that's been done is look at a map of Canada see what "big cities" are between Winnipeg and Calgary; little research about the nature of the facilities has been considered (and has even been admitted on occasion).

It's pretty clear that a new year, a new commissioner has resulted in the same old suggestions. Again this discussion is more active in my site's forums for several years. This latest suggestion, based upon (new) NoL commish Clark Griffith, has been bantered about this winter too.

BTW: Calgary's ballpark is Foothills Stadium; see my Calgary Vipers guide (http://www.nlfan.com/calgary/) for more about it (and any other NoL ballpark, past or present).