Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
December 28, 2009 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
BASEBALL
Golden Baseball League: The GBL has announced its first Hawaiian franchise will be located on the island of Maui and called the Na Ikaika Koa, which translates to the strong warriors of Maui. The franchise is expected to start play in 2010. The ownership of the dormant St. George (UT) Roadrunners decided to shut down and possibly sell that franchise so it could concentrate on its goal of eventually operating four teams in Hawaii. A second Hawaiian team could start in 2011 with the islands of Hawaii and Oahu being targeted for future teams. Due to lease issues at its stadium in Long Beach, the status of the Long Beach Armada franchise is uncertain for the upcoming 2010 season.
United States League of Professional Baseball: Another new independent baseball league called the United States League (USL) plans to start play in the spring of 2010. The USL is planning to have four to eight teams throughout New England and the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The new USL has entered into an alliance with the independent Continental Baseball League, which has six teams in the southwestern United States.
California League: The futures of the High Desert Mavericks (Adelanto) and the Bakersfield Blaze in the High Class-A Cal League are uncertain as the teams face ballpark problems. Both facilities need renovations or replacement, but their hometowns are unable or unwilling to finance the projects. The Mavericks are up for sale and plans for a proposed new ballpark in nearby Victorville were recently voted down. These two franchises had been part of plans to switch two Cal League teams to the High Class-A Carolina League, but those plans fell through.
Arizona Winter League: The AWL, which is operated by the Golden Baseball League, has applied for a lease from the city of Palm Springs (CA) for a new AWL team and a summertime GBL team. The AWL is in a dispute with its former Palm Springs Chill team, which was part of the AWL for two seasons (2008-09), as the owner pulled away to form the new California Winter League for 2010. Reportedly, the city of Palm Springs could award leases to both winter leagues for the upcoming 2010 season.
BASKETBALL
Global Professional Basketball League: The proposed four-team GPBL plans to start play in April 2010 and will have two teams in the Canton (OH) area. The Canton Conquest and the Stark Revolution, based in North Canton, will join the Barberton (OH) Wizards and Lancaster (PA) Liberty for the inaugural season.
Baloncesto Superior National: Due to unavailable dates at its home venue during the month of April, the Santurce Cangrejeros (Crabbers) might not be able to take part in the 2010 basketball season of Puerto Rico's BSN that starts in March 2010. The league plans to play with only nine teams if Santurce is unable to compete.
Louisville Basketball League: The LBL, which is managed by the summertime Kentucky Basketball Development League and operates the American Basketball Association's Kentucky Crusaders travel team, is still planning to operate with four developmental teams called the Blazers, Express, Thoroughbreds, and the Generals. The LBL plans to develop players for various ABA teams.
American Basketball Association: Some of the ABA teams have played games against non-ABA teams like the Indiana Steamrollers, Modesto Explosion, West Virginia Rapids, and the Oklahoma Impact, which is part of the United Basketball League. The Cleveland Rockers announced the team might not be able to play a full schedule this season and the Salt Lake City Saints team is also questionable for this season.
Americas Basketball International: The ABI has now pushed the start of its season back until January 15, 2010. ABI teams based in the United States - the Gladiators, Reigns, Wolf Pack, and Pirates - will play under international rules against teams from South America, Africa, and Central America.
FOOTBALL
Arenafootball2: The Quad City Steamwheelers from the now-disbanded af2 will not be playing a 2010 season. The Steamwheelers had been part of the af2 for all of its ten seasons (2000-09), but suffered through some financial difficulties and ownership issues in 2009.
Southern Indoor Football League: The SIFL's Carolina Force franchise, which played as the South Carolina Force in the 2009 American Indoor Football Association, is now listed as the Greenville (SC) Force for the 2010 SIFL season.
Continental Indoor Football League: The owners of the Marion (OH) Mayhem have announced the franchise will not be playing in the 2010 CIFL season. The Mayhem suffered from poor attendance in 2009 and financial backing from local businesses and sponsors was not in place for another season. The Mayhem staff has been transferred to a new Columbus (OH) team called the Columbus Aces that will start play in 2010.
Regional Indoor Football League: The new RIFL plans to start play in 2010 with most of its teams based in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado, but is expected to have at least two Florida-based teams called the West Palm Beach Wave and Florida Scorpions. The league plans to add several other new Florida markets in the future and create an entire Florida Division by 2011. The RIFL team list has expanded with the addition of some new Texas-based teams called the Dallas Marauders, Central Texas Rattlers, and Cowtown Gunslingers. It is uncertain as to the exact number of teams that will be playing in 2010.
Independent Women's Football League: The IWFL has announced three new teams called the Binghamton (NY) Tiger Cats, H-Town (Houston) Texas Cyclones, and So Cal (San Diego) Scorpions will join for the 2010 season. Binghamton and Houston were part of the 2009 Women's Football Alliance and So Cal had played five seasons (2003-07) in the defunct Women's Professional Football League. The IWFL plans to operate its Tier III division in 2010 that includes 6-player teams instead of the traditional 11-player teams. The IWFL previously sponsored six-player team competition with its Sixxes League in 2006 and 2007.
HOCKEY
International Hockey Association: The proposed IHA, which will use a 4-on-4 format instead of the traditional 5-on-5 format, plans to start play in the spring of 2011 with a spring/summer season. The league has targeted the western markets of Anaheim, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Ontario (CA), Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle/Tacoma and Vancouver. Potential eastern markets include Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, St. Louis, New York, Tampa, and Toronto/Hamilton. The IHA plans to schedule a preview tour in the spring/summer of 2010.
Federal Hockey League: The new FHL, which plans to start play in November 2010, has announced charter teams in Rome/Syracuse (NY), Ottawa (Ontario), Danbury (CT), and Thousands Islands (NY), but plans to announce two to three other teams within 30 days to form a six- or seven-team league. A different Canada-based Federal Hockey League tried and failed to start up in 2003 and 2004. A proposed 2004 start had teams called the Montreal Musketeers, North Bay Express (Ontario), and St. John Mariners (New Brunswick) in an Eastern Conference, along with the Calgary Cowboys, Edmonton Wolverines, and Vancouver Seals in a Western Conference.
SOCCER
United Soccer Leagues (Second Division): The USL Second Division is expected to have only six teams in 2010, down from nine teams in 2009. The league's Western Mass Pioneers and Bermuda Hogges have dropped down a level to play in the 2010 USL Premier Development League; the Crystal Palace Baltimore team left for the new North American Soccer League; and the league dropped the Wilmington Hammerheads franchise. The USL Second Division added the Charleston Battery from last year's USL First Division.
United Soccer Leagues (Premier Development League): The USL's PDL has announced its 2010 alignment will again feature 68 teams with 4 conferences each having 2 divisions. The PDL lost nine teams from last season, but added nine other teams for 2010. The Rhode Island Stingrays, Cary Clarets, Fredericksburg Gunners, Virginia Legacy, Austin Aztex U23's, Rochester Thunder, Fort Wayne Fever, Bakersfield Brigade, and Cascade Surge did not return for 2010. New teams for 2010 include the expansion Dayton Dutch Lions, Central Jersey, Albany (NY), MPS Portland (ME) Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale and a Rochester (MN) replacement for the Thunder; the returning Vermont Voltage team that sat out the 2009 season; and the Bermuda Hogges and Western Mass Pioneers from the 2009 USL Second Division. Bermuda partnered with the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) to create the BFA/Bermuda Hogges PDL club. The PDL's 2009 Seattle Wolves FC club has joined with the Crossfire Premier club and the PDL team will be called the Washington Crossfire in 2010. The Reading Rage became an affiliate of the new Philadelphia Union, a 2010 Major League Soccer expansion franchise, and was renamed the Reading United AC for 2010.
• Discuss this story on the Continental Indoor Football League message board...
Continental Indoor Football League Stories from December 28, 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.
