SAL1 South Atlantic League

Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
Published on August 11, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)


BASEBALL

Pacific Coast League: The Omaha Royals are no longer negotiating to play at a new downtown ballpark, which is being built to accommodate the College World Series by 2011. The PCL team considers the new 24,000-seat ballpark too big for the Royals and the College World Series disrupts the PCL schedule every season. The Royals are exploring a possible new home in suburban Sarpy County, as well as a possible move to either Vancouver (British Columbia) or the Houston area.

Florida State League: The Vero Beach Devil Rays of the High Class-A FSL have been sold to groups affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays. The FSL team is expected to be moved to Port Charlotte (FL) where the Tampa Bay Rays are opening a new spring training facility in 2009. The Orioles are expected to move its spring training home from Fort Lauderdale to Vero Beach and could eventually operate another FSL team in Vero Beach.

Carolina League: Reports of the High Class-A Carolina League expanding by adding two teams from the High Class-A California League have resurfaced. Rumors of two Cal League teams switching to the Carolina League surfaced in 2001 and again in 2004. Apparently, the Cal League's Bakersfield Blaze and High Desert Mavericks are the relocation candidates. It is unsure what cities would become home to the Cal League teams, but Fayetteville (NC), Richmond (VA) and Columbia (SC) have been mentioned. The relocated Cal League teams would face ballpark issues and competition from the summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League that operates in the Carolinas.

South Atlantic League (SALLY): The two Low Class-A leagues, the SALLY and the Midwest League, are again talking about a switch of two SALLY League teams to the Midwest League for geographical and travel reasons. The SALLY would become a 14-team league with two of its teams switching to the Midwest League, which would increase to 16 teams. The candidates for the switch are the Lake County Captains and the new Bowling Green (KY) team, which will be the relocated Columbus (GA) Catfish. The move of two SALLY teams started after the former Columbus (GA) RedStixx moved to Eastlake (OH) as the Captains in 2003. Eastlake was considered more of a Midwest League market. The replacement team in Columbus at that time, the South Georgia Waves, was the other SALLY candidate as it planned a move to a proposed ballpark in Evansville (IN), which was considered a Midwest League market. The Waves are now the Catfish and will move to Bowling Green.

Frontier League: The architects have been selected for the ballpark at Heartland Community College in Normal (IL) that is expected to become home to a Frontier League franchise in 2010.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association: The Oklahoma City Thunder is considered to be one possible name for the relocated and Oklahoma City-bound Seattle SuperSonics franchise.

American Basketball Association: The ABA has added a new Jackson-based franchise called the Mississippi Blues for the upcoming 2008-09 season. Previously, the ABA had the Mississippi Stingers in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. The team was renamed the Miracles in January 2006. The franchise was originally based in the Greenville area and played in various locations throughout its short history. With the new Kentucky Mavericks moving from Bowling Green to Owensboro, along with breaking ties with the team's original owner, the ABA franchise could change its name before it starts its first season.

International Basketball League: The West Coast Highflyers and Arizona Flame no longer appear on the IBL team listing. An offer has been made to purchase the Elkhart (IN) Express and this could lead to relocation of the IBL team. The Edmonton Chill completed its first IBL season, but the team's financial operations were a problem. The team is expected to return next season with a different name and a different ownership structure.

Premier Basketball League: The owners of the Buffalo Dragons, NexxNow, and the PBL have formed the PBL China LLC that will pursue international league expansion and creation of Chinese owned and operated PBL teams in China. The Dallas Defenders, Jacksonville Slam and Rock River Fury teams are not expected to return for a second PBL season. The new owners of the Arkansas Impact are still trying to find a home venue.

United States Basketball Association: The new USBA plans to start play in the spring of 2009 with a Southeastern Conference split into two divisions. The league has had the same 14 teams listed in the Southeastern Conference for the past few months. The league's list of projected 2010 teams has undergone some changes. The Midwestern Conference heading is gone as are teams called the Cedar Rapids Blizzard, Des Moines Diamond, Kansas City Aces, Oklahoma City Breeze, Omaha Generals, Tulsa Stars and Wichita Mountain. New teams now listed include the Cincinnati Breeze, Lexington Stallions, Louisville Frontiersmen, Mississippi Riverhawks, New Orleans Conquistadors, Pensacola Surf and West Virginia Capitals.

Continental Basketball Association: The Rio Grande Valley Silverados, based in McAllen (TX), appear to be close to an announcement of a move to Beaumont (TX) for the 2008-09 season. The team will also move to the ABA.

Women's National Basketball Association: The owner of the WNBA's Houston Comets has put the team up for sale. The league and the city will try to keep the franchise in Houston.

Texas Professional Basketball League: The TPBL has been in operation for eight years and now wants to create a women's pro division starting in June 2009.

FOOTBALL

American Indoor Football Association: The AIFA's Huntington (WV) Heroes franchise is expected to change its name for the 2009 season. The franchise suffered through some financial difficulties during the 2008 season and was taken over by new ownership. Several of the league's franchise owners stated their intentions to return for the 2009 season, despite rumors that several teams are planning to leave the AIFA.

American Professional Football League: The Topeka-based Kansas Koyotes have won all six of the APFL's indoor championships, but the league has suffered from various unstable franchises and incomplete schedules throughout its history. There is a possibility the franchise could move to another league like the American Indoor Football Association. Along with the Koyotes, the Springfield (MO) Wolfpack and Iowa Blackhawks were considered as stable teams in the ten-team 2008 APFL season.

Arenafootball2: The owner of the Louisville Fire wants to move up to the AFL, so the af2 franchise would have to be relocated. One possibility would be to move the af2 franchise to a new 10,000-seat arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University, which is located on the Kentucky side of the Cincinnati market.

Indoor Football League: The new IFL, which was a recent merger of United Indoor Football and the Intense Football League, expects several current arenafootball2 owners to switch to the IFL due to the costs associated with operating an af2 franchise.

HOCKEY

Central Hockey League: The owner of the Austin Ice Bats franchise, which will sit out the 2008-09 CHL season, is considering a move of the franchise to Beaumont (TX). The owner of the Beaumont-based Texas Wildcatters in the ECHL moved out after the 2007-08 season to become part of the new Ontario (CA) Reign franchise. A new arena under construction in the Austin area will become home to the Texas Stars, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars.

Professional Inline Hockey Association: The PIHA lost several teams to the newly formed American Inline Hockey League after the 2007-08 season. Along with its Pro Division and Minor Division, the PIHA recently announced it will operate a Women's Division and a Master's Division for the 2008-09 season. The Master's Division will be for players over the age of 35.

American Inline Hockey League: Some of last season's Professional Inline Hockey Association teams that have committed to the new AIHL include the Boston Swamp Rats, Connecticut Blaze, Hartford Fire Ants, Long Island 495ers, Philadelphia Growl, Feasterville Fury, Aston Demolition, New Jersey Grizzlies, Northeast Philadelphia Stampede, Pittsburgh Bandits, Richmond Robbins, Winchester Generals, Maryland Knights, Carolina Pirates, East Bay Jaws, San Jose Pirates, Northern California Mustangs, Phoenix Dragons, Tucson Desperados and El Paso Black Diamonds. Some new teams listed include the Georgia Syndicate, Massachusetts Rolling Militia, Garden State Savage Wolves and Virginia Militia. Several other teams across the country are still expected to be added.

SOCCER

Women's Professional Soccer: The WPS is expected to start play with seven teams in April 2009, but its Dallas and St. Louis teams do not yet have home fields. The Dallas WPS team is expected to be called the Dallas Sting, which is a local women's soccer organization that has been in existence since 1973. Without a home venue, the teams have not been able to sell season tickets or sponsorships and could risk postponing their WPS start until 2010.

Major Indoor Soccer League: The future of a reorganized MISL appears to be uncertain as a few months have gone by with no apparent development. The league has eight teams that claim a 2008-09 season will be played, but no timetable has been established.

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/2533047. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 11, 2008


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.


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