Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
Published on August 21, 2023 under California League (CalL)
BASEBALL
California League: The city of Ontario (CA) announced plans to build a new sports complex to include a new minor league ballpark that could become home to a team in the Low-A California League. The Ontario city council authorized the execution of a memorandum of understanding with the ownership of the league's Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to develop a lease agreement for the new ballpark within 60 days. Ballpark construction is to start next summer with completion for the 2026 season. It is uncertain if a team in Ontario, which is only about ten miles from Rancho Cucamonga, would be the relocated Quakes. The ownership has talked of keeping the Quakes in Rancho Cucamonga and having a second team in Ontario. The Quakes' lease in Rancho Cucamonga expires after the 2025 season and that ballpark needs upgrades.
Midwest League: The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Appleton) and the West Michigan Whitecaps (Grand Rapids) of the High-A Midwest League recently played a game as the Lake Winnebago Shantymen and the Grand Rapids Dam Breakers, respectively. The Wisconsin name pays tribute to the temporary shacks used for ice fishing on the frozen lake, while the West Michigan name pays tribute to a project attempting to revitalize the Grand River by removing certain dams constructed in the past.
Texas League: The Wichita Wind Surge of the Double-A Texas League recently played a game as the Wichita Monrovians to honor the city's former semi-pro team that consisted of all African American players in the 1920s.
BASKETBALL
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional: Mexico's top men's professional basketball league known as the LNBP started its 2023 season this week with 14 teams each playing a 28-game schedule through November 4, 2023. All ten teams from last season have returned and the league added four teams called the Santos del Potosi (San Luis Potosi), Halcones de Rojos de Veracruz, Panteras de Aquascaliente, and Freseros de Irapuato. The LNBP had a team called the C.B Santos de San Luis in the 2019-20 season. A team called the Halcones de Rojos de Veracruz last played in the LNBP in 2016 and a team called the Panteras de Aquascaliente last played in the LNBP in 2021.
Women's National Basketball Association: The WNBA commissioner visited Denver this week to meet with investors interested in a potential expansion team and to tour possible home arena venues. The league has talked of possible expansion as early as the 2025 season and has several other potential markets interested in a team. Back in 2007, the owner of a team called the Colorado Chill that played three seasons (2004-06) in the former National Women's Basketball league, which folded after its 2006 season, attempted to bring a team called the Colorado Chill into the WNBA as a 2008 expansion team but failed to arrange financing for the franchise. The Chill planned to play most games in Fort Collins and a few games in Denver as part of the WNBA. This week the WNBA completed its third annual in-season tournament called the Commissioner's Cup.
FOOTBALL
Canadian Football League: The CFL commissioner recently met with the mayor of Halifax (Nova Scotia) as the league tries to place its tenth team in Atlantic Canada. The CFL held a regular-season game in Halifax last month as part of its Touchdown Atlantic initiative and the game was a well-attended sellout. No potential ownership group has been announced for a Halifax team. One big problem is the team would most likely need private financing for either a new stadium or an expanded current stadium.
American Indoor Football: The AIF, which has been dormant since 2016 and plans a relaunch in 2024, announced the Harrisburg (PA) Stampede has joined the league as a sixth team. A former indoor team called the Harrisburg Stampede played six seasons (2009-14), the last of which was in 2014 as part of the Professional Indoor Football League. The team played two seasons (2012-13) as part of the former AIF.
American Arena League 2: The Dallas Falcons team, which was associated with the loosely organized American Indoor Football Alliance in 2023, announced plans to join the AAL2 for the 2024 season. The AAL2 recently completed its inaugural 2023 season with seven teams based in the East and Southeast, and previously announced the Delaware Bullsharks (Wilmington) as a 2024 expansion team.
Champions Indoor Football: The CIF's Billings (MT) Outlaws plan to announce its league affiliation for the 2024 season on August 29. The Outlaws joined the CIF as a 2022 expansion team and recently stated the team was looking for a new league for the 2024 season.
Indoor Football League: A group in Oakland has been organized to try to bring the IFL's Bay Area Panthers (San Jose) to the city for the 2024 season. The Panthers' ownership recently announced it is considering relocation and issued a request for proposals from the Northern California cities of Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, and Stockton. The team was first announced as the Oakland Panthers back in 2020, but its start was delayed until 2022 due to the coronavirus and by then the team had moved to San Jose.
National Football League: The group called the Native American Guardians Association is requesting the NFL's Washington Commanders, once called the Washington Redskins, revitalize its relationship with the American Indian community and change their name back to the Redskins.
United States Football League: The spring-season USFL recently announced the hub model with certain markets hosting games will return for the third season in 2024 with some possible adjustments. The league does not want to expand until it has all teams playing home games in their respective markets. In 2022, all games were played in Birmingham. Last season, the Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers played home games in Birmingham; the Memphis Showboats and Houston Gamblers played home games in Memphis; the Pittsburgh Maulers and Philadelphia Stars played home games in Canton (OH); and the New Jersey Generals and Michigan Stars played home games in Detroit.
HOCKEY
Ontario Junior Hockey League: The Junior-A OJHL, which is one of nine leagues belonging to the Canadian Junior Hockey League, recently announced its 2023-24 schedule will feature 24 teams aligned in 12-team East and West conferences. The OJHL had 21 teams last season but has added the Niagara Falls Canucks and Leamington Flyers as expansion teams from last season's Junior-B Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Also, the Buffalo Junior Sabres will return after sitting out the past three seasons.
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League: The Junior-B GOJHL will play its 2023-24 season with 23 teams aligned in a seven-team Golden Horseshoe Conference, an eight-team Western Conference and an eight-team Midwestern Conference. The GOJHL had 25 teams last season but the Niagara Falls Canucks and Leamington Flyers moved to the Junior-A Ontario Junior Hockey League. The GOJHL's Thorold Blackhawks team, which was forced to play its 2022-23 season in Port Colborne due to construction at its home arena, has permanently relocated to become the Port Colborne Sailors for the 2023-24 season.
Superior International Junior Hockey League: The Junior-A SIJHL, which is one of nine leagues belonging to the Canadian Junior Hockey League, will grow from seven to eight teams for the 2023-24 season with the addition of the Kenora (Ontario) Islanders as an expansion team. The SIJHL has one team in Wisconsin and the rest located in western Ontario.
SOCCER
National Indoor Soccer League: The NISL announced the addition of the Magic City SC, based in the suburban Birmingham (AL) area of Pelham, as a 2023-24 expansion team. Each NISL club has both a men's team and a women's team. The NISL's previously announced 2023-24 expansion team to be based in Albany (GA) announced the Albany Aces and Albany Soul as the final options on which fans can vote for the team's name.
League1 Prairies: Saskatchewan Soccer and Manitoba Soccer announced they are accepting applications for soccer clubs to operate both men's and women's teams in a 2024 exhibition season ahead of a proposed start in 2025 of the new semi-pro Division-3 League1 Prairies. The proposed league would be part of League1 Canada, which oversees the current provincial League1 Ontario, Ligue1 Quebec, and League1 BC (British Columbia) and is planning the League1 Atlantic in the Maritime provinces for 2024.
OTHER
Minor League Cricket: With Major League Cricket recently completing its inaugural 2023 season last month with six teams, the affiliated Minor League Cricket (MiLC) started its third season this month with 26 teams aligned in an eight-team Central Division and six-team Southern, Eastern and Western divisions. The 2023 season runs through September 9. Of the 26 teams from last season, the Hollywood Master Blasters did not return; a new team called the Dallas Xforia Giants was added; the DC Hawks were renamed the Baltimore Royals; and the Chicago Blasters became the Chicago Kingsmen.
Major League Rugby: The professional rugby union MLR announced it plans to relocate the Atlanta-based Rugby ATL franchise to Los Angeles once a sale is finalized with new ownership. The MLR had a previous team called the Los Angeles Giltinis as part of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Pro Volleyball Federation: The proposed indoor women's professional volleyball league called the PVF announced the Orlando team will be called the Orlando Valkyries when the league starts play in February 2024. The other 2024 teams announced so far include the Omaha Supernovas, Columbus (OH) Fury, Grand Rapids (MI) Rise, Atlanta Vibe, and a yet-to-be-named San Diego team.
Dan Krieger is the creator of the Weekly Sports League & Franchise Report, which has been tracking the changes in the sports world's leagues, teams, and nicknames since April 2007.
California League Stories from August 21, 2023
- Giants Roll to 9-3 Victory, Split Series in Stockton - San Jose Giants
- Betancourt, Fresno Drop 7-2 Contest to Modesto on Sunday - Fresno Grizzlies
- Ports Drop Series Finale to Giants 9-3 - Stockton Ports
- 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.
