Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
Published on December 31, 2007 under South Coast League (SCL)

BASEBALL

- South Coast League: The SCL is reportedly looking at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson (MS) as a home for its sixth team in the 2008 season. The stadium in Jackson had been home to some Double-A baseball teams and most recently, in 2005, the independent Jackson Senators of the now-defunct Central Baseball League. The Double-A Mississippi Braves of the Southern League have been playing in a newer ballpark in the Jackson suburb of Pearl (MS) since the 2005 season.

BASKETBALL

- American Basketball Association: The ABA has agreed to work with the Global Basketball Alliance in developing men's and women's spring/summer basketball leagues, possibly starting in the 2008 season. The proposed men's GBA and the Women's Global Basketball Alliance would be affiliated with the ABA. The GBA started a spring/summer men's basketball league in April 2002, but has been idle since playing only a handful of games in its inaugural season.

- National Basketball Association Developmental League (D-League): The NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers are apparently looking at the arena in Youngstown (OH) as a possible home for an affiliated NBA D-League franchise. The Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown is currently home to the Youngstown Steelheads of the Central Hockey League. A new arena under construction in Ontario (CA) will reportedly become home next season to the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers.

- Continental Basketball Association: The CBA's Rio Grande Valley Silverados, based in McAllen (TX), are suffering from low attendance. The Silverados have to compete with the National Basketball Association Development League and its Rio Grande Valley Vipers franchise, which is based only about ten miles south in Hidalgo(TX).

- United States Basketball League: The USBL announced it will not play a 2008 season, but the league plans to pursue expansion franchises for its start up the following season. Apparently, only the Brooklyn Kings franchise was committed to returning in 2008. The teams from Kansas (Salina), Oklahoma (Enid) and Dodge City were trying to form a six-team league in the Midwest that could include the cities of Wichita (KS), Kearney (NE) and Omaha (NE).

- International Basketball League: The IBL has announced the Los Angeles Lightning as its newest team for the 2008 season. The Lightning will be based in Thousand Oaks (CA). The IBL has also added a new team from China called the Shanxi Kylins. Several returning IBL teams have changed names. The Everett Explosion is now the Snohomish County Explosion; the Lewis County Raptors are now the Washington Raptors; the Tacoma Jazz is now the Jazz of Tacoma; the Phoenix Flame is the Arizona Flame; and the Chicago Heights Soldiers are now the Windy City Soldiers.

- World Basketball Association: The WBA Pro Basketball League now has ten locations listed for its upcoming season that will start in May 2008. The Eastern Division has Anderson (SC), Murfreesboro (TN), and the three Georgia cities of Gwinnett, Macon and Marietta. The Western Division has Birmingham (AL), Biloxi (MS), Holly Springs (MS), Jackson (TN) and Memphis (TN).

FOOTBALL

- Independent Women's Football League: The IWFL is preparing for its 2008 spring season and has added several new teams called the Baltimore Nighthawks, Boston Militia, Columbus Phantoms, Holyoke Hurricanes, Kansas City Tribe and Wisconsin Warriors. The league added the Dallas Diamonds, Wisconsin Wolves, Las Vegas Showgirlz and New Mexico Menace, formerly the New Mexico Burn, from the Women's Professional Football League. The IWFL has also added the Clarksville (TN) Fox from the Women's Football League and the Central PA Vipers, Pittsburgh Passion and Southern California Breakers, formerly the Orange County Breakers, from the National Women's Football Association.

- National Women's Football Association: The NWFA has added the Indianapolis Chaos and Kansas City Storm from the Independent Women's Football League for its 2008 spring season, along with the Los Angeles Amazons, Minnesota Vixen and New Jersey Titans from the Women's Professional Football League. The NWFA has also added some new teams called the Memphis Belles, Modesto Magic, H'Town Texas Cyclones (Houston), Dayton Diamonds, Arizona Wildfire, North Texas Fury and West Virginia Wonders.

HOCKEY

- Ligue Nord American de Hockey: The Quebec-based LNAH, or North American Hockey League, is playing its fourth season as a professional league. The league previously operated as a "Senior Major" league called the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League before turning professional for the 2004-05 season. The LNAH plays a 52-game schedule from early October to late March and has eight teams for its 2007-08 season-Quebec Radio X, Saint-Georges CRS Express, Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design, Sherbrooke Saint Francois, Sorel-Tracy Mission, St-Jean Summum Chiefs, Thetford Mines Isothermic and Trois-Rivieres Caron & Guay.

SOCCER

- United Soccer Leagues W-League: Two of the USL men's Premier Development League teams, the Los Angeles Storm and Ventura County Fusion, will be adding teams in the women's W-League for the 2008 season. The official nicknames for the women's teams have not yet been announced. Along with the new Pali Blues team, the addition of Los Angeles and Ventura County gives the Western Conference three new Los Angeles area teams for 2008.

OTHER

- National Lacrosse League: The NLL started its 2008 season with 12 teams split into a seven-team Eastern Division and a five-team Western Division. The Eastern Division remains the same as last season with the Buffalo Bandits, Chicago Shamrox, Minnesota Swarm, New York Titans, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks and Toronto Rock. A previously announced Boston Blazers expansion franchise decided to sit out this season. The Western Division lost the Arizona Sting since last season and features the Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Edmonton Rush, Portland LumberJax and San Jose Stealth.

Dan Krieger is the creator of "Leagues, Teams & Nicknames", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The latest version can be found at http://www.lulu.com/content/1375144. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.

South Coast League Stories from December 31, 2007

• Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.