Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
August 26, 2013 - Indoor Football League (IFL)

BASEBALL

South Atlantic League (SALLY): The Hagerstown Suns of the low Class-A SALLY, the city of Fredericksburg (VA), and a ballpark developer have agreed on a conceptual deal for a new ballpark to be built in Fredericksburg. In an attempt to prevent the Suns from moving to Fredericksburg, Hagerstown officials have decided to support a proposal for a new downtown stadium for the Suns. Another group has announced a proposal to build a 6,500-seat baseball stadium in Spotsylvania (VA), just south of Fredericksburg. It is uncertain if this is targeted for an affiliated or independent team.

Northwoods League: The summer-collegiate Northwoods League has apparently signed a lease to have new team based in Kalamazoo (MI) for the 2014 season. The league plans to also add another new team in Kenosha (WI) and operate with 18 teams in the 2014 season.

Pecos League: The eight-team independent Pecos League announced the Taos (NM) Blizzard team will return in 2014 and play a full home schedule after lighting is installed at its home field. The Blizzard will be operated by the league and will move to the Northern Division with the Las Vegas (NM) Train Robbers moving to the Southern Division. The Blizzard was mostly a travel team that was operated by the New York State League in 2013. The team played only ten home games that had to be scheduled in the afternoon due to a lack of stadium lighting. All of the league's seven other teams will return in 2014.

Wild West Baseball League: The former commissioner of the proposed American West Baseball League, which decided to suspend the start of its inaugural season in 2013, is looking to start the new WWBL. The league lists the following possible team locations: Chico (CA), Edmonton (Alberta), Fort McMurray (Alberta), Fullerton (CA), Grays Harbor (WA), Irvine (CA), Long Beach (CA) and Sonoma County (CA). Some of the proposed WWBL markets had been associated with the AWBL.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball League of Canada: After two seasons in Summerside (Prince Edward Island), the Summerside Storm of the NBL-Canada moved to Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island) for the 2013-14 season and the team is now listed as The Island Storm.

American Basketball Association: The ABA announced a new team called the Nashville Soul will start play in 2014 and the ownership will operate a team called the Nashville Heart in the Women's American Basketball Association. The league had a team called the Nashville Soul that started play in the 2011-12 season, but suspended operations very early in the season. Other Nashville-based ABA teams included the Nashville Rhythm (2004-05 and part of 2005-06), Nashville Broncs (2008-09), and Music City Stars (2009-10). Two other new ABA teams South Texas Stingrays (Brownsville) and the West Michigan Lake Hawks plan to start play in the 2013-14 season.

Central Basketball League: The CBL reports that teams will be announced shortly for three divisions-the Sunshine, Empire and Heartland.

FOOTBALL

Indoor Football League: The IFL announced a new Northern Minnesota franchised based in Bemidji will be part of the 2014 season and brings the league membership to ten teams. A co-owner of the league's Cedar Rapids (IA) Titans will be a co-owner of the Bemidji teams along with some local owners.

Continental Indoor Football League: The Marion (OH) Blue Racers team, which was part of the 2013 CIFL season and announced plans to move to the new Xtreme Indoor Football League (XIFL) for 2014, has decided to remain in the CIFL for the 2014 season. The Blue Racers were added as a fourth team to the CIFL South division and the league also has a four-team CIFL North division. A new indoor team called the Columbus (OH) Beast, which was originally listed as part of the new XIFL, now lists the team as a member of the CIFL. The XIFL no longer lists the Blue Racers and Beast as members.

Lone Star Football League: A new indoor football team called the Mesquite (TX) Ghostriders apparently failed in an attempt to join the Champions Professional Indoor Football League for 2014 and will try to join the LSFL. The LSFL had a team called the Mesquite Bandits that was announced for the league's inaugural 2012 season, but its membership was revoked by the league before starting play.

National Spring Football League: The proposed NSFL still plans to start play in 2014 with 12 teams. The league has another four teams listed as 2015 expansion teams. The previously announced Oklahoma Cyclones team for 2014 is now called the Wolves. The Louisville-based Kentucky Thoroughbreds, a previous 2015 expansion team, have replaced the Rhode Island Navigators team, which is now listed as a 2015 expansion team. A proposed Arkansas-based 2015 expansion team has been replaced by the Mobile-based Alabama Steel.

HOCKEY

American Hockey League: The AHL announced its 2013-14 schedule that will again feature all 30 teams each having a one-to-one affiliation with a National Hockey League team. Two AHL affiliates relocated after the 2012-13 season. The Peoria Rivermen moved to become the Utica (NY) Comets as an affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, while the Houston Aeros, an affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, moved to Des Moines as the Iowa Wild.

Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League: The new Espanola (Ontario) expansion team in Canada's Tier II NOJHL announced it will be called the Espanola Rivermen. This increases the league to eight teams.

SOCCER

Evergreen Premier League: The proposed new EPL, which is an elite-level adult men's soccer league based in the state of Washington, has announced its seventh team will be the Spokane Shadow when the league starts play in 2014. A previous team called the Spokane Shadow played ten seasons (1996-2005) as part of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League. The Shadow organization also plans to add a women's team in the 2014 Women's Premier Soccer League.

Professional Arena Soccer League: The PASL (PASL-Pro) officially announced it will add an expansion team called the Wichita B-52s for he 2013-14 season. The city had a recent indoor team called the Wichita Wings that folded after playing the past two seasons (2011-13) as part of the United Soccer Leagues-Major Indoor Soccer League. It looks as though the Tacoma Stars, a team that has been part of the PASL-Pro for the past three seasons (2010-13), will sit out the 2013-14 season. The organization plans to operate a team called the Tacoma Galaxy as part of the Northwest Division in the lower-level Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier) for the 2013-14 season. Apparently, the Tacoma Stars were trying to be part of a new professional level within the PASL referred to as "PASL2", which was to have pro clubs with smaller seating venues, but not enough clubs joined the new division.

National Women's Soccer League: As the NWSL completes its inaugural 2013 season, the head of the United States Soccer Federation stated the league will not expand in 2014 and will return with the same eight franchises. There had been speculation the league would be expanding for its second season.

OTHER

National Lacrosse League: The nine-team NLL plans to move the Minnesota Swarm from the Western Division to the Eastern Division for the 2014 season. Minnesota with join Buffalo, Philadelphia, Rochester and Toronto, while the Western Division will feature Calgary, Colorado (Denver), Edmonton and Vancouver.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the "The Leagueology Almanac 2012-13", 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.

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Indoor Football League Stories from August 26, 2013

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