Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
Published on February 16, 2015 under United League Baseball (ULB)

BASEBALL

Eastern League: The city of Hartford (CT) has reached an agreement with the owners of the Double-A Eastern League's New Britain (CT) Rock Cats and stadium developers to move forward with groundbreaking next week on a new Hartford stadium that should be ready by the 2016 season. As part of the move of the Rock Cats to Hartford, a name-the-team contest will also be announced next week.

South Atlantic League (SALLY): A group of local investors has expressed interest in buying the Hagerstown (MD) Suns of the low Class-A SALLY and keeping the team in the city. A proposed sale of the Suns to a buyer who was trying to build a new stadium for the team in Fredericksburg (VA) fell through late last year. Last month, the owner of the proposed stadium site in Fredericksburg planned to sue the potential buyer and force the sale of the stadium site to pay off back taxes and fees.

United League Baseball: The general manager of the ULB's Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, based in Harlingen (TX), announced the team has ceased operations along with the league's three other teams-the Fort Worth Cats, San Angelo Colts and Brownsville Charros. The Brownsville Charros played all of their 2014 home games at the WhiteWings' stadium in Harlingen. Last month, one of the league owners denied reports the ULB had folded. The ULB started play in 2006. For the 2011 and 2012 seasons, ULB teams operated as a division within the North American Baseball League. When the NABL folded after the 2012 season, the ULB was reorganized as a separate league for the 2013 season. The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings have been around since the ULB was started in 2006 and were known as the Harlingen WhiteWings for the 2008 season. Another independent team called the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings played eight seasons (1994-2001) in the former Texas-Louisiana League, which was renamed the Central Baseball League in 2002 and included the WhiteWings for two seasons (2002-03).

BASKETBALL

Independent Basketball Association: After previously announcing a nine-team and then an eight-team lineup for its 2015 Spring Season, the IBA announced it will have six full-schedule teams each playing a 12-game schedule from early March to early June. Teams include the Grand Rapids Fusion, Kankakee County (IL) Soldiers, Kenosha (WI) Ballers, Lansing (MI) Capitals, St. Louis Trotters and Windy City Blazers (Chicago).

FOOTBALL

Legends Football League USA: The women's LFL USA, formerly known as the Lingerie Football League, recently announced its 2015 schedule will include only six teams, each playing a six-game schedule from April 11 to August 15, 2015. Teams called the Baltimore Charm, Green Bay Chill Jacksonville Breeze and Toledo Crush will not return from last season. The league will feature a three-team Eastern Conference with the Atlanta Steam, Chicago Bliss and Omaha Heart, along with a three-team Western Conference comprised of the Las Vegas Sin, Los Angeles Temptation and Seattle Mist. The Baltimore Charm will move to the Washington (DC)/Northern Virginia area and plans to return in 2016; the Jacksonville Breeze hopes to return in another Florida market within the next three years; the Toledo Crush is expected to return in another Ohio market by 2017; and the Green Bay Chill will need a full overhaul of its operations prior to its return. The league plans to add expansion teams in New England and Dallas for the 2016 season. In July 2014, the LFL announced a new long-term growth model that will feature the LFL Americas with teams in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America; the LFL Oceania with teams in Australia and New Zealand; and the LFL Europa with teams throughout Europe.

Canadian Football League: The CFL announced its schedule for the 2015 season that will feature the same nine teams in a four-team East Division and a five-team West Division. Each team will play an 18-game schedule from late June to early November. The CFL hopes to add a fifth East Division team in the future with Halifax (Nova Scotia) and Quebec City considered as frontrunners for a team.

HOCKEY

ECHL: The National Hockey League's Calgary Flames announced its new AA-level ECHL affiliate to be based in Glens Falls (NY) next season will be called the Adirondack Thunder. The Flames are moving its AAA-level Adirondack Flames American Hockey League affiliate from Glens Falls to Stockton (CA) next season as part of a new AHL Pacific Division. The ECHL's current Stockton Thunder, which was recently purchased by the Calgary Flames, will move to Glens Falls.

North American 3 Hockey League: The Tier-III junior NA3HL, which is associated with the Tier-II North American Hockey League, has approved the relocation of the Cleveland Junior Lumberjacks to Wooster (OH) for the 2015-16 season and the team will be called the Wooster Oilers. The NA3HL team will replace the city's current Wooster Oilers team that has been a member of the Tier-III Minnesota Junior Hockey League since the 2012-13 season.

National Hockey League: Two groups with potential sites in the Tukwila and Bellevue areas of Seattle have entered the competition to build a new arena for NHL and National Basketball Association teams. For now, an NHL expansion team or relocated NHL franchise would have to be the first to play at one of these sites with an NBA team coming later. An arena plan for the SoDo area of Seattle had been the frontrunner, but it has been hit with delays and some of the funding for that arena is contingent on first obtaining an NBA franchise which might take more time.

Major League Roller Hockey: The MLRH held the first event of its 2015 Pro Tour this weekend with four participating teams-the Chicago Dogs, Dayton Demonz, Ohio River Monsters and Team Ohio. The MLRH is also looking to return this summer with a second season of the MLRH Super League.

SOCCER

United Soccer League: The Division-III professional United Soccer Leagues PRO league has been re-branded under a new identity and is now the United Soccer League. The 24-team league, which has 20 teams affiliated with or owned by Major League Soccer teams, plans to apply this year for Division-II status under the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and hopes to start operating as a Division-II league in 2017. The United Soccer Leagues organization previously operated Division-II leagues called the A-League and then the USL First Division from 1996 through 2009. Currently, the 11-team North American Soccer League is the only Division-II pro league. The NASL was formed when several teams decided to leave the former USL First Division. In other USL news, the FC Dallas of the MLS officially announced an affiliation with the USL's Arizona United SC for the 2015 season. The New York Red Bulls of the MLS announced its new USL team will be called the New York Red Bulls II when it starts play in 2015. The USL's Harrisburg City Islanders appear ready to consider relocation if they cannot get a new stadium built. Nashville (TN) and its soon-to-be-vacant Triple-A baseball stadium has been mentioned as a possible relocation site.

Women's Premier Soccer League: The Olympic Sports Center of Bremerton (WA) will operate a team called the Olympic Force in the 2015 season of the WPSL. An Olympic Force men's team was recently added for the 2015 season in the Evergreen Premier League of Washington. An Olympic Force men's indoor team is part of the Premier Arena Soccer League. The recently announced Tkaronto Justice (Toronto) club will play their home games in Niagara Falls (NY) and the league could add more Canadian teams for the 2015 season.

Major League Soccer: Ownership of the proposed new Miami-based MLS franchise, which was granted on the condition of a new soccer-specific stadium being built, plans to have some sort of announcement in the next couple of months concerning its stadium plans.

OTHER

American Ultimate Disc League: The professional AUDL announced its 15-week 2015 schedule that will run from April 11 to July 19. The league will feature seven-team East, Midwest and West divisions, along with a new five-team South Division. All 17 teams will return from last season with the Seattle Raptors changing to the Seattle Cascades under new ownership. Nine new teams include the Ottawa Outlaws in the East; the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds in the Midwest; the Los Angeles Aviators and San Diego Growlers in the West; and the Atlanta Hustle, Charlotte Express, Jacksonville Cannons, Nashville NightWatch and Raleigh Flyers in the South.

USA Rugby League: The USARL announced late last month the 14-team alignment for the 2015 season. The Bucks County Sharks, Connecticut Wildcats and New York Sharks have joined the USARL from the former American National Rugby League (AMRNL), along with the new Wilmington-based Delaware Black Foxes. The Baltimore Blues will not return in 2015, but the other ten USARL teams will return from last season. The Southern Conference will feature four teams, while the Northern Conference will feature five-team North-East and Mid-Atlantic divisions. The USARL is entering its fifth season and was started when five former AMNRL teams left to start the league for the 2011 season.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the Leagues, Teams & Nicknames 2013-14: "The Leagueology Almanac" , 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.

United League Baseball Stories from February 16, 2015

• 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.