Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
July 23, 2012 - Professional Lacrosse League (PLL-1)
BASEBALL
Eastern League: An investment group representing a team from the Double-A Eastern League is still working to bring an Eastern League team to Ottawa (Ontario), possibly in time for the 2014 season. The group is working toward a deadline this fall for final approval.
American Association: The 13-team independent AA has an uneven number of teams this season, so it set up inter-league play with the five-team Can-Am League. The AA would like to expand, but it currently has no planned expansion teams for next season. The city of Edmonton has been mentioned as a possible target, but the travel costs involved would be prohibitive to many of the teams.
North American Baseball League: The Maui Na Koa Ikaika of the NABL recently played a two-game series against the Ishikawa Million Stars from Japan's independent Baseball Challenge League. The owner of the Maui-based team also owns the league's Hawaii Stars (Hilo) and recently announced an agreement for the six-team Japanese BCL and NABL to participate in inter-league play starting with the 2013 season. Teams from other independent leagues could also participate leading to a season-ending World Independent Baseball Championship and the eventual creation of a World Independent Baseball League.
New York-Penn League: A feasibility study will be undertaken for a proposed minor league ballpark in Phoenixville (PA), located in suburban Philadelphia, that could become home to a team in the short-season Class-A NY-Penn League or the independent Atlantic Baseball League. Plans for a proposed ballpark in nearby West Chester (PA) were voted down in early 2011.
Can-Am League: The Rockland Boulders (Ramapo, NY) of the Can-Am League were renamed the Bergen Boulders for one game on July 22, 2012, as a marketing plan to get more fans from nearby Bergen County (NJ) interested in the team.
Freedom Baseball League: The four-team Arizona-based FBL has been having some attendance and financial issues in its inaugural 2012 season and some ballpark lease payments were missed.
Midwest Collegiate League: The owner of the Illinois Lincolns and Will County CrackerJacks, two teams in the 2012 summer-collegiate MCL, has decided to pull the teams out of the league with over a week remaining in the season. The league's six remaining teams were forced to revise their schedules.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association Development League (D-League): The 16-team NBA D-League has announced its affiliations with the 30 teams of the National Basketball Association for the upcoming 2012-13 season. Of the 16 NBA D-League teams, 11 have one-to-one relationships with NBA teams either through direct ownership or "hybrid" affiliations. Of the remaining D-League teams, four teams each have four NBA affiliates, while one team has three NBA affiliates. The long-range goal is to eventually have a one-to-one affiliation between all D-League and NBA teams. The D-League's Dakota Wizards team is still awaiting NBA approval to relocate to California as the Santa Cruz Warriors for the 2012-13 season.
Southeastern Exposure Basketball League: The men's short-season summertime SEBL has started its 2012 season and has eight teams in its Metro Conference A-League and six teams in its City Conference B-League.
FOOTBALL
United Football League: The head of the UFL stated the league will return for a fourth season in 2012 and an announcement would be issued within weeks.
United Indoor Football League: The owner that operated the Rome (GA) Rampage travel team during the 2012 UIFL season has announced plans to place the team in Dalton (GA) for the 2013 season under the Georgia Rampage name. The Pikeville-based Eastern Kentucky Drillers indoor football team, which played in the 2012 UIFL and the 2011 Ultimate Indoor Football League, has announced it will move to the Continental Indoor Football League for the 2013 season as the Kentucky Drillers.
Continental Indoor Football League: The Dayton Silverbacks franchise in the CIFL has been renamed the Dayton Sharks. The team started as the Miami Valley Silverbacks in the 2006 American Indoor Football League before switching to the CIFL in 2007. The team was renamed the Dayton Silverbacks for the 2011 season.
Lone Star Football League: The Abilene Ruff Riders of the Texas-based indoor LSFL have announced plans to rename the team through a name-the-team contest. The team started out as the Katy (TX) Ruff Riders for two seasons (2007-08) in the Intense Football League. The team moved to Abilene for the 2009 season when the Intense Football League became part of the new Indoor Football League. After two seasons (2009-10) in the IFL, the Ruff Riders played in the 2011 Southern Indoor Football League before switching to the new LSFL for 2012.
HOCKEY
Midwest Junior Hockey League: The new MWJHL, which is affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), has announced the 16 teams and league alignment for its inaugural 2012-13 season. The American Conference will have four-team North and Central divisions, while the National Conference will have four-team East and West divisions. Teams are located in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Tropical Elite Hockey League: The TEHL is a new six-team Florida-based junior hockey league that will be operating as part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for the 2012-13 season.
Central Hockey League: The CHL's new Denver Cutthroats franchise has announced an affiliation with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League and their top minor league affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
SOCCER
Liga MX: The Mexican Primera Division (First Division) soccer league has been reorganized and renamed Liga MX for its 2012-13 two-part season (Apertura/Clausura). Its relegation league known as Liga de Ascenso has been renamed Ascenso MX for its 2012-13 Apertura/Clausura season. Both leagues started the first part (Apertura) of the 2012-13 season this past week. Liga MX again has 18 teams with only one change from last season. The Guadalajara-based Estudiantes Tecos team was relegated to the Ascenso MX, while Club Leon was promoted from the Ascenso to the Liga MX. The Liga de Ascenso operated with only 14 teams for the second part (Clausura) of its 2011-12 season, but will increase to 15 teams with the addition of the relegated Estudiantes Tecos team from first division Liga MX.
Professional Arena Soccer League: The Louisville Lighting of the PASL-Pro league has announced the team will sit out the upcoming 2012-13 season. The Lightning had been part of the league for the past three seasons (2009-12). The team ownership stated the team could resume operations in the future.
Women's Premier Soccer League - Elite League: The WPSL Elite League has announced it will expand with a Western Division in 2013 that will include the California Storm (Sacramento) and the San Diego SeaLions. These teams were original members of the WPSL back in 1998 and are currently part of the 2012 regular WPSL. Additional western teams are expected to be announced in the future.
OTHER
Professional Lacrosse League: The new indoor PLL has announced two new teams called the Reading (PA) Rockets and the Trenton-based New Jersey Rascals will be part of the league's inaugural 2012 season that starts in September. These teams will join the Jacksonville Bullies and Charlotte Copperheads to comprise the four-team PLL for the 2012 season. Two proposed PLL teams called the Pennsylvania Haymakers and the Pennsylvania Shamrocks have been labeled as inactive until 2013.
Midwest Indoor Lacrosse Association: The semi-pro MILA has announced its 2012 schedule that will run from August 4 to September 29. After playing its inaugural 2011 season with four teams, the MILA now has 11 teams participating in the 2012 season. New teams for 2012 include the Detroit Coney Dogs, Minnesota JAXX, Madison Capitals, Cleveland Demons, Pittsburgh Octane, Southern Ohio Box Lacrosse (Cincinnati), and Colorado Sabertooths.
Dan Krieger is the creator of the "The Leagueology Almanac 2011-12", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The publication is currently available at www.amazon.com.
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