Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
Published on December 7, 2009 under North American Soccer League (NASL)

BASEBALL

Canadian-American (Can-Am) League: A new management group has stepped forward to bail out the Can-Am League's Brockton (MA) Rox franchise, which had fallen behind on rent payments and shut down most of its operations after the 2009 season. This should allow the Rox to be part of the 2010 season.

Florida State League: The Chicago Cubs are considering a move of its spring training complex from Mesa (AZ) to Naples (FL). If that would happen, the Cubs could eventually consider moving its High Class-A FSL team, now playing as the Daytona Cubs, to Naples. Daytona has been home to the Cubs' FSL affiliate since 1993.

United League Baseball: The ULB's Amarillo (TX) Dillas recently signed a new ballpark lease that should keep the team in the league for the next two seasons. The American Association, which currently has three Texas-based teams, had apparently made a bid on the ballpark lease for a possible Amarillo franchise. The ULB operated with all six of its 2009 teams based in the state of Texas.

Golden Baseball League: The independent GBL, which operates with teams in California, Arizona, and western Canada, is apparently interested in placing a franchise in the vacant Ottawa (Ontario) market. The independent Canadian-American (Can-Am) League is also interested in a return to Ottawa, as it last had the Ottawa Rapidz franchise playing in the 2008 season.

Puerto Rico Baseball League: The fall-winter PRBL started its 2009-10 season last month with five teams-Arecibo Lobos (Wolves), Caguas Criollos (Creoles), Carolina Gigantes (Giants), Mayaguez Indios (Indians), and Ponce Leones (Lions). The Santurce Cangrejeros (Crabbers) did not return for the 2009-10 season that runs from mid-November to mid-January.

Northwoods League: The summer collegiate Northwoods League has announced its newest team for the 2010 season will be called the Willmar (MN) Stingers.

BASKETBALL

American Basketball Association: The ABA started its 2009-10 season last month with an estimated 55 teams set to participate. The Greenville-based Carolina Kings franchise announced it will not be part of the 2009-10 ABA season and will start play next season. Prior to joining the ABA, the Kings had planned to be part of the 2010 Premier Basketball League. The ABA has announced another expansion team called the New Mexico RimRockers, based in the city of Las Crucas. The RimRockers plan to play a full schedule next season, but hope to play a limited schedule of games this season against teams in the Southwest Division. The ABA's December schedule features some games to be played by a Florida-based ABA travel team called the Heartland Herd.

Iowa Basketball Exposure League: The new Des Moines-based IBEL recently held some tryouts for its upcoming inaugural season that is expected to start in late spring 2010. The IBEL currently has three teams called the Central Iowa Hybrids, Iowa Wind Turbines, and Des Moines Hydrogen.

Mountain State Basketball League: The proposed MSBL plans to start play in the spring of 2010. The league's International Angels team is now listed as the Virginia Angels. The five other MSBL teams are the Charlotte Mustangs, Georgia Gwizzlies, Madison (WV) Miners, Pikeville (KY) Power, and West Virginia Wild.

New World Professional Basketball League: The NWPBL has been trying to start play since 2007 and now hopes to have 18 franchises competing in the spring of 2010. The league was planning a "Tip-Off Classic" in Jackson (TN) this past week for players interested in being part of the league. At one time the league listed at least 12 proposed team names, but currently has logos posted for the Pine Bluff (AR) Armadillos, Evansville (IN) Knights, Mobile Stingrays, and Midland Heat.

FOOTBALL

Southern Indoor Football League: Plans have fallen through for an ownership group that was to purchase the Augusta (GA) Colts and move the team to the SIFL for the 2010 season. The Colts last played in the 2008 American Indoor Football Association and sat out the 2009 season. One of the investors involved in the ownership group will still try to form a totally new franchise that hopes to join the SIFL, possibly as either the Augusta Stallions or August Mavericks.

American Indoor Football Association: The AIFA has announced an expansion team called the San Jose Wolves will be part of the 2010 season.

Indoor Football League: The IFL will place the Little Rock-based Arkansas Twisters in its 2010 Lonestar Division creating an eight-team division that includes seven other Texas-based teams. The 2009 Lonestar Division had five teams, but has added three teams from other 2009 leagues-the Twisters and Amarillo Dusters from arenafootball2 and the Austin Turfcats from the Southern Indoor Football League. The Twisters had originally announced plans to join the new Arena Football 1 for its inaugural 2010 season. The owner of the IFL's new Green Bay Blizzard franchise, which was part of the 2009 arenafootball2, does not own the rights to the team's nickname. The owner has announced a name-the-team contest in case a name change is needed.

HOCKEY

International Hockey League: The IHL has removed the owners of the Dayton Gems and new local ownership has taken over the franchise, so its 2009-10 should not be interrupted.

Northern Junior Hockey League: The new Indiana (PA) Inferno had planned to be part of the inaugural 2009-10 NJHL season, but the team has been put on hiatus or suspended. The team apparently was unable to find suitable housing for players. This is the second team in the city to have its operations suspended. The Indiana Ice Miners were declared champions of the now-defunct Mid-Atlantic Hockey League in February 2008 when the league suspended operations and shortened the 2008-09 season. The team was purchased in March 2008, but the new owner has not been able to find a minor league for the dormant club.

North American Hockey League: The Tier II Junior-A NAHL is reportedly taking over the hockey operations of the Albert Lea (MN) Thunder. The team's owner failed to meet certain league requirements and was suspended by the league. A hearing between the owner and the league is scheduled for next week.

SOCCER

North American Soccer League: The Rochester Rhinos announced the team has officially left the United Soccer Leagues First Division and joined the new NASL for its inaugural 2010 season. This increases the NASL to ten teams. The NASL's Vancouver Whitecaps announced that a team called the Edmonton Drillers will replace the Whitecaps when Vancouver moves up to the Major League Soccer for the 2011 season. Starting in 2010, the Drillers will serve as a Division II development team for the new Vancouver Whitecaps franchise in the Division I MLS. A previous soccer league known as the NASL had a team called the Edmonton Drillers from 1979 to 1982. The Edmonton Drillers name was also used by an indoor team in the National Professional Soccer League from 1996 to 2000 and has been used by a current Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League franchise since 2007.

United Soccer Leagues First Division: The USL has apparently ended its franchise agreement with the Cleveland City Stars. Cleveland just completed its first season in the USL First Division after playing two seasons (2007-08) as a USL Second Division team. The USL hopes to establish a new franchise under new ownership for 2010. With the Rochester Rhinos leaving the USL for the new North American Soccer League, only the Austin Aztex, Portland Timbers, and Puerto Rico Islanders remain from the 11 teams that played in the 2009 First Division.

United Soccer Leagues Second Division: The Bermuda Hogges team in the USL Second Division is considering a move down a level of play to the USL Premier Development League. Bermuda joined the USL Second Division for the 2007 season.

United Soccer Leagues W-League: The Washington (DC) Freedom of Women's Professional Soccer has renamed its USL W-League team the Washington Freedom Futures for next season. The Washington Freedom W-League team started play in 2006 and the organization obtained a WPS franchise that went by the same name in the inaugural season of the WPS in 2009.

Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL Premier): The 2009-10 PASL Premier League standings currently list 35 teams split into 7 regional divisions. Some of the PASL Premier teams act as developmental clubs for the 9 teams in the 2009-10 PASL Pro league.

OTHER

National Pro Fastpitch: The NPF announced the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) has finalized the purchase of an NPF franchise. The team will be called the USSSA Florida Pride and will be based in Kissimmee (FL), which is home to the USSSA. Just prior to the 2009 season the USSSA agreed to take over the management of the Washington (DC) Glory franchise, which folded due to financial problems, and the team operated in Florida as the USSSA Pride in 2009. This latest deal finalizes the USSSA's commitment to actually owning and operating a women's professional softball franchise.

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 2008-09 version can be found at http://www.lulu.com/content/6218580. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.

North American Soccer League Stories from December 7, 2009

• 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.