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Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
January 20, 2014 - United League Baseball (ULB)


BASEBALL

Florida State League: The city of Winter Park (FL), just north of Orlando, is considering construction of a 3,000-seat stadium that could become home to a team in the high Class-A FSL. If approved, a stadium would not be completed for a couple of years.

United League Baseball: The Texas-based independent ULB wants to place a team in Tucson (AZ) for the upcoming 2014 season. The Tucson market became available after the Tucson Padres of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League relocated to become the El Paso Chihuahuas for the 2014 season.

Pacific Association: The independent Pacific Association announced it will return for its second season in 2014 with the five member teams from the end of the 2013 season, plus a new team called the Sonoma (CA) Stompers. The five returning teams are the BayCal Lumberjacks (East Bay), Hawaii Stars (Hilo), Na Koa Ikaika of Maui, San Rafael (CA) Pacifics and Vallejo (CA) Admirals. The ownership of the San Rafael Pacifics will also be involved in operations of the Sonoma Stompers.

American Association: The Joplin (MO) city council approved a financing plan to expand and renovate the city's baseball stadium for the El Paso Diablos of the independent American Association. The El Paso Diablos were displaced after the 2013 season due to the arrival of the El Paso Chihuahuas in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for the 2014 season.

BASKETBALL

Central Basketball League: The CBL has added two new teams called the Minnesota Rattlers and the Libertyville (IL) Vipers to increase to 20 proposed teams for its second season starting in April 2014. The Vipers were also announced as a 2014-15 expansion team in the American Basketball Association.

Women's National Basketball Association: The WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars basketball team, which has been part of the league since the 2003 season when the Utah Starzz relocated to San Antonio, will be dropping the "Silver" from its name to become the San Antonio Stars for the 2014 season.

American Basketball Association: The ABA announced two new teams called the Libertyville (IL) Vipers from the Chicago area and the California-based Oceanside A-Team will begin play in the 2014-15 season. The ABA also announced it will begin operating the ABA Summer Pro Basketball League in May or June 2014. The league will be open to ABA teams, teams from other leagues and independent teams.

Americas Women Basketball Federation: The Americas Basketball International, which is a men's basketball league that has been trying to get off the ground with some league-operated teams based in the United States playing international teams from Central and South America, has announced the AWBF as its new women's league that plans to start in 2014. The AWBF is trying to work out an agreement with the proposed new Mexican women's pro league called the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional-Femenil that plans to start play in March 2014.

FOOTBALL

Women's Football Alliance: The WFA has announced the 49 teams that will be part of the league's sixth spring-summer season in 2014. Some of the new teams include the Daytona Breakers, Illiana Ravens (Chicago area), Iowa Steamrollers, Nevada Storm (Sparks), Phoenix Phantomz and Pittsburgh Force.

National Spring Football League: The proposed professional developmental NSFL has postponed its start from March 2014 to March 2015. The league was first announced in 2012 with plans to start in March 2013, but that was delayed until March 2014. The league listed 12 proposed teams with 6 western teams in the Elite Football Conference and 6 eastern teams in the Premiere Football Conference.

Rivals Professional Football League: The RPFL plans to start its inaugural 2014 season with six teams playing 11-on-11 outdoor football from May to July. A North Conference will include the Chicago Kings, Detroit Cougars and Southern Michigan Mustangs (Gibraltar), while a South Conference will feature the Akron Blaze, Cincinnati Gorillas and Indianapolis Racers. When the league was first announced in early 2013 it listed 14 proposed teams.

HOCKEY

American Hockey League: After the current 2013-14 season, the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms (Glens Falls, NY) are expected to move into a new arena being constructed in Allentown (PA) where the team will be called the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The mayor of Glens Falls recently stated the city is negotiating with another current AHL team about relocating to Glens Falls after the Phantoms move out. The AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms moved to Glens Falls as the Adirondack Phantoms for the 2009-10 season and the team has been playing their on a temporary basis while waiting for completion of the arena in Allentown.

ECHL: The ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers are trying to find an alternative home arena in the area after the lease at the team's current arena was not renewed for next season. The deadline for teams to commit for the 2014-15 season is next week and the Wranglers expect the league to grant them an extension.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer: The MLS could make an announcement in early February 2014 about an expansion franchise for the Miami/South Florida market. The league has been working with the potential ownership group, which includes former MLS player David Beckham, and is trying to finalize plans for a soccer-specific stadium.

United Soccer Leagues - PRO: With the Orlando City Lions of the USL PRO league moving up to Major League Soccer in 2015, the Orlando-based USL PRO franchise could move to Louisville for the 2015 season and become an affiliate of the Orlando City Lions MLS team. Owners of the Lions and potential investors recently met with Louisville officials and discussed the possibility of sharing Slugger Field, which is home to the Louisville Bats baseball team in the Triple-A International League. The Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse are trying to take over the franchise rights of the Charlotte Eagles USL PRO team. There was talk the Eagles could move down a level to the USL Premier Development League for the 2015 season.

United Soccer Leagues - Premier Development League: The PDL's North Sound SeaWolves FC (Issaquah, WA) have changed their name and will play in the 2014 season as the Puget Sound Gunners FC.

North American Soccer League: The Division-II NASL announced its 2014 Fall Season will run from mid-July to early November and will consist of the same ten teams participating in the 2014 Spring Season.

National Premier Soccer League: The Carolina RailHawks (Cary, NC) of the Division-II North American Soccer League announced they will sponsor a team called the Carolina RailHawks U-23's in the 2014 season of the men's elite-level NPSL. The NASL's Atlanta Silverbacks and Minnesota United FC previously announced they will also operate teams in the NPSL for the 2014 season.

Evergreen Premier League: The new eight-team EPL, which is an elite-level adult men's soccer league based in the state of Washington that will start play in May 2014, announced that the FC Three Rivers TriCities club will not be part of the inaugural season. The league plans to announce an eighth team to replace FC Three Rivers in time for the 2014 season.

OTHER

World TeamTennis: The Mylan WTT announced a new owner has purchased the New York Sportimes and will move the franchise to San Diego where it will be called the San Diego Aviators for the 2014 season. The New York franchise played its first three seasons (2000-02) on Long Island as the New York Hamptons before becoming the New York Sportimes in 2003. San Diego had teams called the Friars (1981-83) and the Buds (1984-85) in the early years of this version of the WTT.

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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United League Baseball Stories from January 20, 2014


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