Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
Published on April 4, 2011 under Continental Basketball League (CBL)

BASEBALL

Frontier League: With the 2011 Frontier League season set to start next month, the status of the league's Kalamazoo Kings franchise is still uncertain. The Kings' owner had hoped to sell the team and a mid-March announcement about the team's status for 2011 never happened. Meanwhile, the Rockford Riverhawks, formerly of the Northern League and a member of the new North American League, have announced plans to leave the NAL and join the Frontier League for the 2011 season.

North American League: When the new NAL was first announced for the 2011 season, it planned to have a Midwest Division consisting of four former Northern League teams-the Rockford Riverhawks, Lake County Fielders, Schaumburg Flyers, and Joliet JackHammers. The future of this Midwest Division is uncertain. The Rockford Riverhawks recently announced plans to move to the Frontier League; the Joliet JackHammers were replaced in that market by the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League; and the Schaumburg Flyers will be replaced in that market by an American Association team for the 2012 season.

Southwestern States League: The proposed SSL, which planned to start play this spring with five baseball teams called the Blackwell (OK) Broncos, Brenham (TX) Bulls, Clovis (NM) Rhythm, Elk City (OK) Wranglers, and Kingfisher (OK) Pioneers, has apparently shut down operations. The SSL was initially called the Permian Basin League when it was first announced in late 2010.

Southern League: The new Pensacola-based franchise that will start play in the 2012 season of the Double-A Southern League has announced a name-the-team contest. The league's Carolina Mudcats will move from Zebulon (NC) to Pensacola for the 2012 season. Pensacola had an independent team called the Pensacola Flyers that played two seasons (2004-05) in the Central Baseball League and five seasons (2006-10) in the American Association. The Flyers AA franchise was relocated to Amarillo (TX) for the 2011 season.

Atlantic Baseball League: A group wanting to place an ABL franchise in Frederick (MD) is preparing to make a bid for a lease on the city's ballpark for the 2012 season. The city's ballpark is currently occupied by the Frederick Keys in the affiliated High Class-A Carolina League. The Keys also plan to submit a bid to remain in Frederick.

Ultimate Baseball League: The proposed UBL, which was planning to start its inaugural season in 2011 with four teams playing a 35-game season, has decided to push back its start until 2012.

BASKETBALL

International Basketball League: The Los Angeles Lightning of the IBL has announced the team will not play in the 2011 spring season, but will compete in the league's 2011 winter season. The Lightning has been part of the IBL spring season since 2008. The IBL's West Coast Hotshots team, which was formerly the Bend-based Central Oregon Hotshots, is no longer based in Central Oregon and will play all 20 of its 2011 games on the road. The Hotshots have been part of the IBL since the league's inaugural 2005 season.

Continental Basketball League: The CBL announced that the Heartland Prowl, which was based in Avon Park (FL) and a member of the American Basketball Association in 2010-11, has joined the league for its upcoming 2011 season. The Prowl was based in Henry County (GA) as the Georgia Prowl in 2009-10. The CBL has three other Florida-based team in Miami, Palm Beach, and the Orlando area.

World Basketball Association Exposure League: The WBA is holding tryouts for its upcoming spring-summer 2011 season. The league's Decatur (GA) Court Kings are now listed as the Conyers (GA) Court Kings. The Rome (GA) Gladiators are now listed as a 2011 team and the new Fayetteville (TN) team has been named Tennessee Tornadoes.

Women's United States Basketball Association: After failing to get off the ground as planned last summer, the WUSBA plans to try again in June 2011 with 20 teams split into 4 regional divisions called the Southern, Piedmont, Atlantic, and Appalachian.

American Basketball Association: The ABA has announced two new 2011-12 expansion teams called the Midwest Flames, based in Peoria (IL), and the NoVa Wonders, based in the Northern Virginia-Washington (DC) area.

Women's American Basketball Association: The men's American Basketball Association plans to start the new WABA in January 2012. The league plans to play WABA games prior to or after ABA games. The ABA made an attempt to work with the former Global Basketball Alliance in 2008 to try to develop a women's spring-summer basketball league.

National Basketball Association: The Anaheim (CA) city council has approved $75 million in bonds to help the Sacramento Kings of the NBA relocate to Anaheim for the 2011-12 season. If successful, there is speculation the relocated team will be renamed the Anaheim Royals.

FOOTBALL

Southern Indoor Football League: After losing its home arena in the Houston area, the Houston Stallions announced plans last week to play five home games in Winnie (TX) this season, but that lease contract has apparently been cancelled.

Stars Football League: The new SFL plans to start its inaugural season on May 21, 2011. In addition to the original six teams previously announced, it appears as though teams called the Las Vegas Gamblers and the Charleston (SC) Admirals have been added for the inaugural 2011 season.

HOCKEY

North American Hockey League: The Tier II Junior-A NAHL has announced it will add an expansion team in Minot (ND) for the 2011-12 season. The team will be called the Minot Tauros, or Minotauros, and will be added to the Central Division, which has two South Dakota teams in Aberdeen and Bismarck along with teams in Minnesota and Wisconsin. A junior hockey team called the Minot Muskies last played in the 2000-01 season of the America West Hockey League, which eventually merged with the NAHL for the 2003-04 season. The NAHL also approved the transfer of the Owatonna Express team to a group in Odessa (TX) and the team will become the Odessa Jackalopes in 2011-12.

Central Hockey League: The Laredo Bucks of the CHL have withdrawn its application to the Tier II Junior-A North American Hockey League and the team intends to compete in a professional hockey league in 2011-12. The franchise ownership had considered a move the NAHL for 2011-12 and the NAHL's Traverse City North Stars were mentioned as a possible relocation candidate for Laredo. The CHL's Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs have confirmed an interest in moving to the Class-A Southern Professional Hockey League for next season. The Odessa Jackalopes will leave the CHL for next season, as the ownership has purchased an NAHL team that will operate in the city.

SOCCER

United Soccer Leagues PRO League: The new Division III USL PRO league has started its inaugural 2011 season with 15 teams. The American Division consists of the Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, and Richmond Kickers from last year's USL Second Division (Division III) league, along with the new Wilmington Hammerheads and the Orlando City SC. Orlando was last season's Austin Aztec team that played in the United States Soccer Federation Division II League. The National Division includes the new FC New York; the Dayton Dutch Lions from last season's USL Premier Development League; the Harrisburg City Islanders and Pittsburgh Riverhounds from last season's USL Second Division league; and the Rochester Rhinos team that was a member of the North American Soccer League and part of the 2010 USSF Division II League. The International Division includes the new Antigua Barracudas FC and the Los Angeles Blues, along with the Puerto Rico United, River Plate Puerto Rico, and Sevilla FC Puerto Rico from the Puerto Rico Soccer League.

United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League: The Victoria Highlanders FC of the USL PDL have announced an affiliation with the Mid Isle Highlanders FC, based in Nanaimo (British Columbia), for the 2011 season. The Mid Isle Highlanders will act as a developmental squad for the Victoria (British Columbia) PDL team and will play in the Premier Division of the 2011 Pacific Coast Soccer League.

United Soccer Leagues W-League: The USL women's W-League has announced that the DC United of the men's Major League Soccer, in a partnership with the W-League's Northern Virginia Majestics, will operate a 2011 W-League team called the DC United Women. This team will fill the void left by the departure of the Washington Freedom Futures team. The Washington Freedom professional team in Women's Professional Soccer has relocated to South Florida for the 2011 season. The W-League also announced a new team called the Central South Carolina Cobras, based in Columbia, will join the league for the 2012 season and play a few matches during the 2011 season.

National Premier Soccer League: The professional Hollywood United Hitmen team, which played the past two seasons (2009-10) in the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), has joined the West Conference of the elite-level NPSL for the 2011 season. The NPSL plans to have 38 teams competing in five regional conferences. The ten-team West Conference has just started its 2011 season with the Bay Area Ambassadors, FC Hasental, Hollywood United, Rattlers FC, Real San Jose, SD Flash (San Diego), Sacramento Gold, San Diego Boca FC, Santa Ana Winds, and Sonoma Soul.

Major Indoor Soccer League: The owner of the new Wichita (KS) MISL expansion franchise for the 2011-12 season has come to an agreement with the trademark owners of the Wichita Wings name, so the new MISL team plans to be called the Wichita Wings when it starts play next season.

OTHER

Major League Lacrosse: The MLL's new Charlotte (NC) expansion franchise, which will start play in the 2012 season, has announced a name-the-team contest.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the Leagueology® almanac known as "Leagues, Teams & Nicknames", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The latest 2010-11 edition is available at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/leagues-teams-nicknames-the-leagueology-almanac-2010-11/15228513. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.com.

Continental Basketball League Stories from April 4, 2011

• 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.