IBL going to get bigger ...

[The Magician]

I have heard that the IBL might be growing in size for next season ...

Any NEWS regarding that?

[Minor League Man]

Well, the Bellingham Slam WILL come to the IBL...The Gary Steelheads are about 80% likely...No word on the Akron Energy, Arizona Lightning, Edmonton Sled Dawgz, or Lansing Capitals yet...

[mammal]

I coverd the IBL this past season and wrote a weekly column. From what I gather the expansion will be only for very-very qualified owners.
The IBL will be going into it's 4th year and is no longer in a big "growth/expansion" mode. They will shift gears and concentrate on the teams they have with some expansion only for the owners who meet/excede the minimum qualifications. The IBL is solid and Mikal Duilio should receive a lot of the credit. He is a very good commissioner. He will be taking a one year leave to re-charge but will be back. Bellingham will be a great addition the the West cluster.

[The Magician]

I coverd the IBL this past season and wrote a weekly column.

Thanks for the update, much appreciated!

[winds55]

IBL website says Chicago Heights is now the Windy City Soldiers.. will be playing 2008 season with 10 home games in Kankakee. So they'll be around, at least. No links yet to pages for the announced or rumored new teams.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Well, the Bellingham Slam WILL come to the IBL...The Gary Steelheads are about 80% likely...No word on the Akron Energy, Arizona Lightning, Edmonton Sled Dawgz, or Lansing Capitals yet...


The Steelheads are 100% likely! How likely is the new Windy City team though? I haven't followed the IBL in the past. Has this team shown-up for its games as Chicago Heights?

[one way]

this team did not win a game or pay a single player a single dollar. sounds like a great future

[CRUSADERSFAN]

this team did not win a game or pay a single player a single dollar. sounds like a great future

I know they were 0-18, but they didn't pay anyone? Source?

[MJHankel]

So when are the teams usually finalized for the season?

[MJHankel]

The Steelheads are 100% likely! How likely is the new Windy City team though? I haven't followed the IBL in the past. Has this team shown-up for its games as Chicago Heights?

I just wish there were more news. I mean their website has not changed sense the end of the season, and the only press release said that it is not a done deal but they are looking into it.

What is with the lack of news???

[AConcernedCitizen]

There will be some teams not returning to the IBL next season. The season to come may well be the defining one for the league. If it can eliminate the teams that do not belong in it, while not unduly burdening the teams it already has with impossible traveling or back to back to back to back games (or both) and add a few more good ones, things might look a bit more positive. Perhaps very positive. It has done well so far, though not enough of the owners or fans seem to know about this forum so we can't get the sort of stories we are used to out of the ABA.

[MJHankel]

When does the IBL generally finalize their expansion, and set the teams for the following season?

[BreakersFan]

Any word on whether or not the IBL is courting the othe USBL orphans? Seems like Dodge City, Oklahoma, and Kansas woul be a perfect fit. And with IBL budgets smaller than USBL, they could do very well in the IBL....

Just like with Bellingham and Gary, it would be both a win for the franchises and a win for the IBL....

[sportsnut2000]

Well hopefully the IBL can get these teams to join next year

[Pounder]

Thought I'd trace this...

2005 Teams
Akron (one and out)
Battle Creek
Central Oregon
Chico (three years, apparently now out)
Dayton (one and out)
Des Moines (one and out)
Detroit (one and out)
Grand Rapids
Macomb County (two and out)
Oakland (two and out)
Portland
San Jose (one and out)
Tacoma (folded but reborn, really on their second life)
Vancouver
Waterloo (two and out)
Windy City (one and moved to Elgin)
Youngstown (one and out)

5 original teams are in their original markets. In terms of ALL leagues, that's too much attrition... but recall that the D-League has 100% attrition of their original teams. Need we mention the ABA?

A buddy in Eugene had told me how a contact of his mentioned that the third year of the initial buy-in to the league was where the red flag was raised. Well...

2006 additions
Aurora (one and done)
Colorado (two and done)
Columbus (one year, moved to Marysville- not much of a move)
Cuyahoga Falls (one year, jumped to another league)
Elgin (from Windy City?, still around)
Elkhart
Eugene (folded after one year, reborn, rumored to have folded again)
Holland
Lake County (one and done)
Lansing (one and done, wiki says they're returning, but not on IBL site)
Salem
Seattle (are they serious?)
Tri-City (is this Tri-Valley? One and done / hiatus?)
West Virginia (one and done, wiki says they're returning, but not on IBL site)

6 of 13, with Eugene an unresolved question in my mind.

2007 additions
Chicago Heights (referred now as Windy City)
Everett (now Snohomish County, or listed as Monroe on IBL site)
Hub City (Jackson TN)
Las Vegas
Lewis County (how are they alive?)
Phoenix (now Scottsdale)
Santa Barbara

So, until we hear more, Bellingham and Edmonton are the only listed IBL expansions. Moreover, IBL has demonstrable attrition.

[BreakersFan]

Before last season, the IBL scrapped that three-year payment plan for new franchises and went to a straight year-to-year dues plan ($23K I believe). That has had the effect of weeding out many of the poorer financed owners and teams who couldn't pay the dues, which are due in two installments. If an installment is missed, the team was removed from the league. And new teams have to pay the dues up front.

By the end of 2008, I think that we'll see that the better financed teams will be the only ones still standing. The talent, promotion, and business practices have improved each season (unlike other minor leagues). And I love the travel team to China. Can you imagine the ABA doing something like that?

Other teams may come and go, but as long as the league can keep it's basic midwest core and pacific northwest core together, I think that it is in very good shape.

Midwest: Holland, Battle Creek, Elgin, Elkhart, Gary, Grand Rapids
Pacific Northwest: Vancouver (WA), Portland, Central Oregon, Bellingham, Eugene, Monroe.

California and the southwest seem to be a struggle but if a consistent group of 4-5 teams can be found over the next few years that would be nice. And the jury is out on Edmonton, and the potential Canadian teams.

Lastly, I think that the northeast has great untapped potential for this league: plentiful basketball players and many medium sized, closely-grouped markets with less April - June sports competition. NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA area could support a decent core of teams.

[Shootmaster_44]

So, until we hear more, Bellingham and Edmonton are the only listed IBL expansions. Moreover, IBL has demonstrable attrition.

Vancouver, BC has officially been announced as well. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3537964

[one way]

Great post Pounder. Today must be I told you so day. Hey mammal, what do think of that? P.S. you will be saying the same thing about the PBL.

[Pounder]

...and where's the USBL now?

Still, the whole schmear (not just IBL) is solid as jello.