Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
Published on October 2, 2023 under Champions Indoor Football (CIF)
BASEBALL
American Association: The Sioux City (IA) Explorers of the independent American Association are facing competition from the summer-collegiate Northwoods League for renewal of the lease at the city's Lewis & Clark Park for next season. The city wanted to consider options other than the Explorers for the ballpark and it issued a Request for Proposal. Only the Explorers and the summer-collegiate Northwoods League, which would place an expansion team in Sioux City, responded to the request. The city's final decision is expected this month. The Sioux City Explorers have been playing since the 1993 season.
Prospect League: The summer-collegiate Prospect League announced the Dubois County Bombers (Huntingburg, IN) and the Full Count Rhythm (Hendersonville, TN) from last season's summer-collegiate Ohio Valley League will join the league for the 2024 season. The Bombers purchased the Prospect League's West Virginia Bombers (Beckley) team, which sat out the 2023 season, while the Rhythm purchased the Prospect League's Quincy (IL) Gems.
Mid-America League: The new summer-collegiate Mid-America League is reported to be organizing for a start in 2024 with six teams to be based in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana.
BASKETBALL
Southern Conference Basketball League: The new semi-pro SCBL is about midway through its inaugural season that features ten teams throughout the Carolinas and Georgia. Teams will play about 14 games through November 19, 2023.
Women's National Basketball Association: The National Basketball Association's Golden State Warriors are reported to be close to finalizing a deal to bring a WNBA expansion team to the Bay Area, possibly by the 2025 season. The team would be based at the Warriors' practice facility in Oakland and play home games at the Warriors' home at Chase Arena in San Francisco. Several details still need to be worked out and an official announcement could come sometime in October.
FOOTBALL
Arena Football League: The new 2024 version of the AFL announced the Orlando Predators team has joined the league from the 2023 National Arena League. During the Predators' press conference, the AFL announced it will also be adding the remaining teams from the Champions Indoor Football league, which has lost several teams to other leagues since the end of the 2023 season. The AFL also announced a new Washington (Everett) team has been added for the 2024 season.
National Arena League: The NAL, which has had some additions and subtractions of teams since the end of the 2023 season, announced the North Texas Bulls (Fort Worth) have joined the league for the 2024 season. The North Texas Bulls played in the 2021 season of the American Arena League and one game in the 2022 season of the American Football Association before dropping out.
American Indoor Football: The AIF announced a team called the Beaumont (TX) Renegades has been added for the league's rebirth in 2024. A previously announced 2024 AIF team called the West Virginia Miners (Wheeling) is no longer listed as a member of the AIF.
Champions Indoor Football: With the apparent move of CIF teams to the new version of the Arena Football League, the CIF's Gillette (WY) Mustangs team would not be included due to limitations at its home arena for the arena-style game. The Mustangs team is up for sale and a move to Casper (WY) is being considered. Besides the Mustangs, only the Rapid City (SD) Marshals, Salina (KS) Liberty, and Southwest Kansas Storm (Dodge City) remain of the eight CIF teams from last season. The CIF recently announced the addition of the Wichita ICT Regulators for the 2024 season.
Indoor Football League: The IFL announced the San Antonio Gunslingers team from the 2023 National Arena League (NAL) has joined for the 2024 season and will be added to the Western Conference. The IFL has grown from 14 to 16 teams with the addition of the Jacksonville Sharks, another 2023 NAL team, to the Eastern Conference.
United States Football League: The spring-season USFL and XFL officially announced their intent to undergo a merger for 2024 with more details to be announced in the future.
HOCKEY
British Columbia Hockey League: Canada's independent junior-level BCHL started its 2023-24 season last week with 17 teams aligned in a nine-team Coastal Division and an eight-team Interior Division. The only change from last season was the departure of the Wenatchee (WA) Wild from the Interior Division. The Wild, which was the BCHL's only team not located in British Columbia, purchased the Winnipeg ICE of the major-junior Western Hockey League, and became a team in that league for the 2023-24 season.
Ontario Hockey League: The major-junior OHL, which is one of three leagues that comprise the Canadian Hockey League, started its 2023-24 season this week and again features 20 teams aligned in an Eastern Conference with five-team East and Central divisions, and a Western Conference with five-team Midwest and West divisions. The only change is the move of the Hamilton Bulldogs to Brantford as the Brantford Bulldogs due to ongoing arena renovations in Hamilton. Each team will play a 68-game schedule from September 29, 2023, through March 24, 2024.
Canadian-American Junior Hockey League: The independent CAJHL, which started play in January 2022 when six teams left the former junior-level Western States Hockey League midway through its 2021-22 season to form the league, started its 2023-24 season this weekend with five teams. Of the five teams from last season, the Calgary Warriors did not return but the Southern Alberta Mustangs (Staveley) team was added for 2023-24. Two other Alberta-based teams called the Vulcan Rampage and Northern Alberta Lightning (Viking) had been announced for the 2023-24 season but have since switched to the new National Junior Hockey League where the Northern Alberta Lightning is now based in Mayethorpe.
SOCCER
USL League Two (United Soccer League): The men's pre-professional USL League Two announced the addition of a yet-to-be-named team in Utah County (UT) for the 2024 season. A team called the Charlottesville (VA) Blues FC will be added to the USL League Two and the club will also add a women's team in the pre-professional USL W-League for the 2024 season.
OTHER
National Lacrosse League: The indoor NLL announced its 2023-24 season will feature the same 15 teams as last season with each team playing 18 games from December 1, 2023, through April 21, 24. The league will eliminate the eight-team East Conference and seven-team West Conference and align all teams in one 15-team single-table format referred to as the ¬ÅUnified Standings ¬Â.
American Cornhole League - Pro: After recently completing its 2023 season with 16 teams across the United States and aligned in 4 four-team regions (North, South, Central, and West), the ACL Pro Division announced it will return for its third season in 2024 with the same 16 teams with the North Region and South Region comprising an American Division and the Central Region and West Region comprising a National Division. Each team is represented by players from one or more states in its territory and competes in ACL-Pro events throughout the season. All teams will participate in a player draft next week for the league's 2024 season.
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.
Champions Indoor Football Stories from October 2, 2023
- 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.
