Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
Published on September 24, 2012 under Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL)

BASEBALL

Pacific Coast League: The mayor of El Paso has decided not to veto plans for a new downtown stadium, so it appears as though the move to El Paso by the Tucson Padres of the Triple-A PCL could happen in time for the 2014 season.

Atlantic Baseball League: The president of the ABL is trying to return an independent baseball team to Atlantic City (NJ), but it could be part of a totally different league operating as an offshoot of the ABL and comprised of smaller venues. The proposed new league is in the exploratory stage. A team called the Atlantic City Surf played nine seasons (1998-2006) in the ABL, but moved to the lower Can-Am League for two seasons (2007-08) before folding. The ABL attempted to hold a three-game series in Atlantic City between two current ABL teams during the 2012 season, but the ballpark was not suitable for play.

Carolina League: The city council in Wilmington (NC) has approved a deal to build a new ballpark that could see the Lynchburg (VA) Hillcats of the high Class-A Carolina League relocate to Wilmington in time for the 2014 season. Voters still need to approve an increase in property taxes to help fund the project.

New York-Penn League: Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates have moved its short-season Class-A affiliate in the NY-Penn League from the State College (PA) Spikes to the Jamestown (NY) Jammers for next season. The Jammers recently applied to relocate its franchise to Morgantown (WV) where a new ballpark on the campus of West Virginia University is expected to be ready for the 2014 season.

BASKETBALL

Universal Basketball Association: A new team called the Lancaster (OH) Aftermath plans to be part of the UBA's Eastern Conference for the 2012-13 season. Other Eastern Conference teams will include the new Dayton Knights, Ohio Hidden Gems (Columbus), Cambridge (OH) Crush, and Cincinnati Slam. The UBA also operates a Southern Conference and a Western Conference.

American Basketball Association: The ABA announced a new team called the Peoria (IL) Pride, which originally planned to start play in 2013, will be part of the league's 2012-13 North Central Division. The ABA had a previous team called the Peoria Kings for the 2006-07 season. A Peoria-based team called the Midwest Flames was announced for 2011-12, but dropped out prior to the start of the season.

Premier Basketball League: The PBL announced a team called the Buffalo Warriors has been added for its 2013 season that will start in March. The Buffalo Warriors were part of the 2011-12 Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (ACPBL) before dropping out in February of their first season in the league. The PBL had a previous team called the Buffalo Stampede (originally named the Sharks) for its 2009 and 2010 seasons, but that team left to join the ACPBL for its 2010-11 season. The Warriors then replaced the Stampede in the ACPBL for the 2011-12 season.

FOOTBALL

Indoor Football League: The new ownership group that will operate the IFL's Allen (TX) franchise, which operated in the IFL as the Allen Wranglers for the past two seasons (2011-12), has selected the Texas Revolution as the team's new name. The Wranglers had joined the IFL when the Little Rock-based Arkansas Diamonds relocated to Allen for the 2011 season.

Professional Indoor Football League: The PIFL has announced its 2013 season schedule that will include eight teams. All six teams-the Alabama (Huntsville) Hammers, Albany (GA) Panthers, Columbus (GA) Lions, Louisiana Swashbucklers (Lake Charles), Knoxville Nighthawks, and Richmond (VA) Raiders-from the inaugural 2012 season have returned. The league added the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (Bethlehem, PA) from the 2012 Indoor Football League (IFL) and the Charlotte Speed, which was previously announced as a 2013 IFL expansion franchise.

Champions Professional Indoor Football League: The new Kansas City franchise in the CPIFL has announced it will be called the Kansas City Renegades when the league starts its inaugural season in 2013. The Renegades have taken over the physical assets of the defunct Kansas City Command, an indoor team that was part of the 2012 Arena Football League. The CPIFL's Lincoln (NE) Haymakers team, which operated as the Council Bluffs (IA) Express in the indoor American Professional Football League for 2012, officially announced its new ownership and new name this past week.

Arena Football League: The owner of the Atlanta-based Georgia Force has not had any success in trying to sell the AFL franchise to a local buyer and there are indications the team might not return for the 2013 season. The Force joined the AFL when the Huntsville-based Alabama Vipers moved to the Atlanta area for the 2011 season. Another Georgia Force indoor football team played seven seasons (2002-08) in the original AFL before the league folded sometime after the 2008 season. That Force team was created from the relocation of the Nashville Kats to the Atlanta area for the 2002 season.

HOCKEY

Federal Hockey League: The new Dayton Devils, a 2012-13 FHL expansion team, has already changed its name to the Dayton Demonz before its first season in the league.

Canadian Hockey League: The three major-junior hockey leagues that comprise the CHL, which is considered to be the top level of junior hockey, all started their 2012-13 seasons this weekend. The 20-team Ontario Hockey League had one change with the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors becoming the Mississauga Steelheads. The QMJHL grew to 18 teams with the addition of the expansion Sherbrooke Phoenix to the TELUS West Division. There were no changes in the WHL whose 22 teams includes 5 teams from the Northwest region of the United States that are aligned in a U.S. Division.

SOCCER

North American Soccer League: The Division II NASL has been operating its Minnesota Stars team while trying to find new ownership. If new ownership is not found, the league owners will vote at a meeting in late October as to whether to continue funding the team or fold it. The league expects to announce two expansion teams prior to the 2013 season and one or both could start play in 2013.

Professional Arena Soccer League: The PASL has announced its Arizona Storm team, which started the 2011-12 season as the Phoenix Monsoon, will move to Prescott Valley (AZ) still as the Arizona Storm for the 2012-13 season. With the relocation of the Storm, a proposed 2013-14 expansion team in Phoenix called Real Phoenix will now start play in the 2012-13 season. Real Phoenix will also operate a developmental team in the league's lower level Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier). The PASL stated that its previously announced Tucson Extreme expansion team will not start play as planned in the 2012-13 season and hopes to return for 2013-14.

OTHER

World TeamTennis: The co-founder of the WTT wants to expand the league outside the United States with the addition of one or two Canadian teams. The WTT has considered expansion into Europe, but due to travel costs and the short season, an entirely separate league with only European teams would work.

Professional Lacrosse League: The new indoor PLL started its inaugural 2012 season last weekend. After losing a fourth team called New Jersey Vandals (Trenton) just before the start of the season, the PLL has moved forward with three teams called the Jacksonville Bullies, Charlotte Copperheads, and Reading (PA) Rockets.

Canadian Lacrosse League (CLAX): The CLAX is reported to be trying to place a team in Toronto for its second season in 2013. Last season, the six-team league used three venues with two teams each sharing a home arena, so the CLAX wants each team to have its own home for 2013. One report has the Oshawa Machine, which shared Oshawa's General Motors Centre with the Durham Turfdogs, moving to Toronto and the Turfdogs taking the Oshawa market as the Oshawa Turfdogs.

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.

Champions Professional Indoor Football League Stories from September 24, 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.