Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
October 18, 2021 - National Arena League (NAL)

BASEBALL

Arizona Fall League: After cancelling its 2020 season due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Major League Baseball's AzFL started its 2021 season this week. The AzFL will again have six teams with the Peoria Javelinas, Surprise Saguaros and Glendale Desert Dogs in the West, and the Mesa Solar Sox, Salt River Rafters and Scottsdale Scorpions in the East. Each team will have prospects from five different MLB teams. The regular season runs through November 19, 2021.

Low-A East League: Despite rumors of the team's possible relocation to Lowell (MA), officials with the Salem (VA) Red Sox of the Low-A East League stated the team will be staying in Salem next year. The independent Atlantic League had also mentioned Salem as the site of a possible future expansion team.

Liga Invernal Mexicana: Mexico's top summertime Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB) will restart next week the LIM (Mexican Winter League), which previously operated for three seasons (2015-17). The 2021 season it will feature prospects on teams in several LMB cities. A North Division will include the Monclova Acereros, Monterrey Sultanes, Saltillo Saraperos and Union Laguna Algodoneros of Torreon, while the South Division will have the Mexico City Diablos Rojos, Oaxaca Guerreros, Puebla Pericos and a team of prospects from both the Veracruz Aguilas and Yucatan Leones. The LIM runs through November.

BASKETBALL

Triple Threat Basketball League: After last playing a 2019-20 season with ten teams, the semi-pro TTBL plans to restart for a 2021-22 season, again with ten teams. The Fredericksburg (NC) Grizzlies team, which was part of the 2021 East Coast Basketball League, has joined the TTBL and replaced the league's previous Fredericksburg Jackets team. The Culpepper (VA) Chaos is gone and replaced by the new Virginia Beach (VA) Wildcats, while the Edgewood Storm is now listed as the Edgewood Panthers.

The Basketball League: The minor professional TBL recently announced two more 2022 expansion teams called the Pennsylvania Kings (Lancaster) and the Central Alabama Jaguars (Montgomery).

Women's National D-League: The WNDL has been organizing since 2017 as a women's developmental basketball league trying to provide players with an opportunity to develop skills and play in a competitive league. The WNDL has played some games off and on over the past couple of years but is trying to develop a November-to-March season with teams located in different states. The WNDL currently lists nine league members: Connecticut Stars (Bridgeport), Carolina Dream, D.C. Eclipes (possibly Eclipse), Georgia Pursuit, Milwaukee Buckettes, Minnesota Reign, New Jersey Storm, Philadelphia Fever and Westchester (NY) Shooting Stars.

FOOTBALL

National Arena League: The NAL's West Virginia Roughriders (Wheeling) team is having trouble working out a league contract and is not happy with the NAL's new rules and salary cap, so it might look at other league options. A decision will be made by November 1, 2021. The team last played in the 2019 American Arena League and moved to the NAL for a 2020 season that was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Roughriders voluntarily sat out the 2021 season and the team was a put up for sale at one time.

United States Football League: Not much has been heard from the proposed new USFL, which announced this past June plans for a new eight-team spring league with eight teams. The city of Birmingham (AL) has been mentioned again as a possible location for a USFL team.

HOCKEY

American Hockey League: The AHL, which is the top minor league for the National Hockey League, started its 2021-22 season this weekend with 31 teams aligned in four regional divisions. The Eastern Conference has an eight-team Atlantic Division and a seven-team North Division, while the Western Conference has a seven-team Central Division and a nine-team Pacific Division. The NHL's 32nd team called the Seattle Kraken is sharing the AHL's Charlotte Checkers affiliate with the NHL's Florida Panthers since the Kraken's AHL arena in the Palm Springs area will not be ready until next year. The three teams-Springfield (MA) Thunderbirds, Charlotte Checkers and Milwaukee Admirals-that voluntarily sat out last season have returned. The Utica (NY) Comets relocated to become the Abbottsford Canucks (British Columbia), while the Binghamton (NY) Devils relocated to become a new version of the Utica Comets. Also, the Bridgeport (CT) Sound Tigers were renamed the Bridgeport Islanders.

Southern Professional Hockey League: The lower-level minor professional SPHL started its 2021-22 season this weekend with 11 teams aligned in a single-table format. The league played a shortened 42-game schedule last season with only five of its ten teams participating due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The five teams that voluntarily sat out last season have returned and the league added an expansion team called the Vermillion County Bobcats (Danville, IL) for the 2021-22 season.

United States Premier Hockey League: The Tier-III junior-level USPHL announced a team called the Bakersfield (CA) Roughnecks will join the Premier-level Pacific Division for the 2022-23 season.

Greater Metro Junior ‚¬Å“A ‚¬Â Hockey League: Canada's independent GMHL recently started its 2021-22 season earlier this month with 26 teams in 3 regional divisions. The North Division has ten teams (nine in Ontario and one in Quebec), the South Division has nine teams (all in Ontario), and the West Division has seven teams (six in Alberta and one in British Columbia.

SOCCER

Arena Soccer League: The proposed new ASL announced it will push back the start of its inaugural season from April 2022 to May 2023 due to uncertainties over possible restrictions from the coronavirus (COVID-19). The ASL plans to place teams in the largest available markets and lists the Philadelphia Kixx and Chicago Sting as possible teams.

Major Arena Soccer League2: The MASL2, or M2, which is the lower-level affiliate of the MASL, announced its 2021-22 season schedule will feature 13 teams each playing 12 games from December 11, 2021 through March 2022. The M2 confirmed the addition of the Turlock Cal Express team that has moved down from the MASL for the 2021-22 season. The M2 had seven participating teams last season and will see the return of some other teams that sat out last season. The Hidalgo-based Rio Grande Valley Barracuda will start play in the 2021-22 M2 after last playing in the MASL's 2018-19 season.

USL League Two (United Soccer League): The men's pre-professional USL League Two announced the Vermont Green FC (Burlington) has been added as a new team for the 2022 season.

USL W-League (United Soccer League): The new women's pre-professional USL W-League stated that after its original announcement of 10 teams, it has added another 10 teams over the past 3 months and is currently at 20 teams. The league plans to add several more teams before its 2022 inaugural season that could feature over 30 teams.

OTHER

Major League Quidditch: After cancelling its 2020 season due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the MLQ played its 2021 summertime season with 14 teams aligned in 3 regional divisions (East, North and South). The league's two Canadian teams called the Toronto Raiders in the North and the Ottawa Black Bears in the East did not play as part of the 2021 season schedule. A trial expansion team called the Charlotte Aviators replaced Ottawa in the East for the 2021 season. The Aviators are the renamed Charlotte Royals team, which was announced for the 2020 season that was cancelled. Since the league last played, the Boston Night Riders team was renamed the Boston Forge.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the Weekly Sports League & Franchise Report, which has been tracking changes in the sports world's leagues, teams and nicknames since April 2007.

National Arena League Stories from October 18, 2021

• Director of Player Personnel Dave Mogensen Hired as Head Coach of the Iowa Barnstormers - Albany Empire
• 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.