Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
January 23, 2012 - North American Lacrosse League (NALL)
BASEBALL
South Atlantic League (SALLY): The ownership of the Hagerstown (MD) Suns in the low Class-A SALLY is apparently shopping the team for a possible move. The Suns have been trying to get improvements to its ballpark.
California Winter League: The CWL started its third season this past weekend with five teams called the Bluesox, A's, Chill, Power, and Snowbirds. The short winter season runs until February 15, 2012.
Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League: A new team called the Shelter Island (NY) Bucks will be part of the Hampton Division in the 2012 ACBL season.
Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League: The Oneonta (NY) Outlaws team, which has been a member of the New York Collegiate Baseball League for the past two seasons, will move to the PGCBL in 2012.
BASKETBALL
International Basketball League: The IBL now has nine teams listed for its upcoming 2012 spring season. As of now, it appears that the Bellingham Slam, Edmonton Energy, Los Angeles Lightning, Olympia Reign, Orlando Venom, Portland Chinooks, and Vancouver Volcanoes will be full-schedule teams, while the Yamhill Highflyers and Jersey G-Force, previously referred to as the New Jersey Titans, will be short-schedule "branding teams".
Independent Basketball Association: The IBA has completed its inaugural 2011-12 fall-winter season and will soon be announcing its 2012 spring season schedule. A new team called the Kenosha (WI) Ballers has been added to the league's list of teams.
Tobacco Road Basketball League: The TRBL will have three travel squads for its inaugural season that starts in April 2012. The Queen City Express (Charlotte, NC), Big Texas (Jacksonville, NC), and Macleem Sports Wear will each play five road games during the 2012 season.
American Basketball Association: The ABA has announced it will a team based in Decatur (GA) near Atlanta for the 2012-13 season.
FOOTBALL
United Indoor Football League: The new UIFL has purchased the assets of the former 16-team Ultimate Indoor Football League and announced 11 teams will be split into two conferences for 2012. The Northern Conference will include the Cincinnati Commandos, Erie (PA) Explosion, Huntington (WV) Hammers, Johnstown (PA) Generals, Marion (OH) Racers, and the Western Pennsylvania Sting travel team. The Southern Conference features the Eastern Kentucky Drillers (Pikeville), Florida Tarpons (Estero), Lakeland (FL) Raiders, Mississippi Hound Dogs (Tupelo), and the Rome Rampage travel team. Four proposed 2012 expansion teams previously announced by the former Ultimate Indoor Football League have folded. These include the Raleigh-based Carolina Aviators, Danville (IL) Dragons, Kentucky Monsters (Highland Heights), and the Tennessee Rail Runners (Chattanooga). The Canton Cougars team from last season's Ultimate Indoor Football League has also folded.
American Indoor Football: The AIF has announced the Sacramento Eagles team has relocated to Stockton (CA) and has been renamed the California Eagles. Negotiations for a proposed home venue in Sacramento broke down, so the team made a play for the Stockton Arena after the AIF's proposed Stockton Lightning team decided to sit out the 2012 season.
National Indoor Football Alliance: Some remaining teams from the 2011 Independent Indoor Football Alliance (IIFA) have moved to the new NIFA, which was also listed as the National Indoor Football Association. As of now, a proposed 2012 schedule has four teams called the DFW Texans (Dallas), Conroe (TX) Jaguars, Texas Pirates (Houston), and Humble (TX) Colts. The Texas Pirates were a 2011 IIFA team, the DFW Texans were a merger of two IIFA teams after the 2011 season, and the Conroe Jaguars had been listed as a 2012 IIFA expansion team. A team called the Bayou City Mojo is listed in the league standings, but not on the 2012 schedule. The NIFA lists Houma (LA), Kansas City (MO), College Station (TX), and Lafayette (LA) as future markets.
Lingerie Football League: The Dallas Desire franchise of the women's indoor LFL sat out the 2011-12 season, but could return in 2012-13. Pittsburgh and Portland (OR) are considered favorites for expansion teams in 2012-13. The league's Toronto Triumph will be moving to the new LFL Canada next season.
HOCKEY
Central Hockey League: The Fort Wayne Komets of the AA-level CHL are reportedly considering a move to the ECHL for the 2012-13 season. The ECHL is considered the top AA-level developmental hockey league.
ECHL: The ownership of the ECHL's Wheeling (WV) Nailers has decided to put the team up for sale. Local ownership is being sought, but if an owner is not found, the team will sit out next season. The Nailers played ten of its home games in Johnstown (PA) last season and will do so again in 2011-12.
North American Hockey League: The Wenatchee Wild of the Tier II junior-level NAHL is trying to move to the junior-A British Columbia Hockey League due to the amount of travel the team has in the NAHL. The Wild tried to join the BCHL before is first season in 2007, but agreed to join the NAHL for three seasons while the league tried to find some teams closer to Wenatchee. The NAHL and USA Hockey have not approved of the Wild's attempt to switch leagues.
Eastern Junior Hockey League: The Tier III EJHL has announced its Albany-based Capital District Selects team has been approved to relocate to Norwalk (CT) for the 2012-13 season and the team will be renamed the Connecticut Oilers.
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League: Due to a transition in ownership, the Canadian Junior-A NOJHL has approved a new franchise called the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, which will replace the league's Kirkland Lake Blue Devils for the remainder of the 2011-12 season.
SOCCER
Women's Professional Soccer: The owner of the magicJack FC franchise, which was terminated by the WPS after the 2011 season, has reportedly agreed to drop his lawsuit seeking reinstatement to the league. In return, the magicJack team will not be an official member of the WPS, but will play seven or eight exhibition games against WPS teams for each of the next two seasons.
United Soccer Leagues - PRO: The ownership of a proposed new San Antonio-based team in the Division III USL PRO league recently lost out on plans to renovate a local stadium that was going to be home for the team. The ownership hoped to eventually grow this team into a San Antonio-based Major League Soccer franchise.
United Soccer Leagues - Premier Development League: The PDL has announced new teams called the Chicago Inferno, Panama City Beach (FL) Pirates, and the Southern West Virginia King's Warriors (Beckley) will be part of the upcoming 2012 season.
National Premier Soccer League: The FC New York club, which recently announced it would not return after one season in the United Soccer Leagues PRO league, is expected to make an announcement in the near future about a switch to the NPSL for the 2012 season.
OTHER
North American Lacrosse League: The NALL started its inaugural 2012 season with a game between the Kentucky Stickhorses and a non-league team called the Jersey Jesters. Owners of some of the other NALL teams wanted to move to a fall schedule, so Kentucky was the only remaining team of the five NALL teams that originally planned to start in January 2012. The four departed NALL teams included the Hershey (PA) Haymakers, Jacksonville Bullies, Charlotte Copperheads, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PA) Shamrocks. Two other new NALL teams called the Lehigh Valley Flying Dutchmen (Allentown, PA) and Boston Rockhoppers will join with the Stickhorses in a shortened six-game 2012 season with all games being played in Louisville (KY).
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.
North American Lacrosse League Stories from January 23, 2012
- 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.
