Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report
by Dan Krieger
April 14, 2014 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
BASEBALL
United League Baseball: The Fort Worth Cats of the Texas-based ULB announced its 2014 schedule and it looks like the league will have only four teams this season. The Fort Worth Cats, San Angelo Colts, and the Harlingen-based Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings return, along with a new team called the Mexico Paisanos that will share Harlingen Field. The league started last season with six teams, but the Alexandria (LA) Aces and a Texas Thunder travel team were shut down in the second half of the 2013 season. The league's Edinburg Roadrunners lost their lease in the off-season and will not return in 2014.
Atlantic League: The Atlantic League's proposed expansion team called the Loudoun Hounds is trying to rework construction financing and move forward on building its new ballpark in Ashburn (VA). The ballpark was originally proposed in late 2008 for completion in 2011, but that was pushed back and the ballpark moved to a different development. The league had hoped to have the Hounds start play in 2014, but it now looks like sometime in 2015 is a more realistic completion date.
Frontier League: An initial ballpark financing plan for a proposed Frontier League team in the Milwaukee suburb of Franklin (WI) was rejected by local officials. The developer is considering trying another location in nearby Oak Creek.
South Atlantic League: The city of Columbia (SC) voted to move forward with a funding plan to build a new ballpark that could become home to a team in the low Class-A SALLY, possibly the relocated Savannah Sand Gnats, or a team from the high Class-A Carolina League. The new ballpark is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.
Can-Am League: In late 2013, the Can-Am League's Newark Bears announced the team would not be playing in 2014 and it now appears the franchise is dead. The Bears are planning a liquidation sale of all its property and equipment for later this month.
Major League Baseball: The individual trying to bring an MLB team to Portland (OR) is trying to build a 38,000-seat stadium that could become home to the Oakland A's when their lease expires after the 2015 season. He has proposed expanding the ballpark seating capacity of the Portland area's Hillsboro (OR) Hops team in the short-season Class-A Northwest League and having the A's use that facility while a new stadium is being constructed.
BASKETBALL
Central Basketball Development League: The CBDL, which was formerly called the Central Basketball League, has started its 2014 season with ten teams listed in two conferences. The six-team Eastern Conference includes Florida-based teams called the Fort Pierce Royals, Martin County Slammers, Palm Beach Pelicans, Panama City Dream, South Florida Spartans and Tampa Bay Saints. The Western Conference features the Beaumont (TX) Cardinals, Lake Charles (LA) Kingdom Riders, Louisiana Cajun All-Stars and Texas Resurrection.
Florida Basketball Association: The FBA's fifth team called the Miami Midnites was officially announced for the upcoming spring-summer season that will run from early May to late July 2014. The other four teams returning from last season include the Florida Flight (Orlando), Heartland Prowl, Palm Beach Knights and Tampa Bay Rebels.
American Basketball Association: The Kansas City Attack, which was previously listed as a proposed 2014 Central Basketball League team, is now holding tryouts and is listed as part of the ABA.
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional-Femenil: The LNBP-Femenil, which is Mexico's new women's pro basketball league sponsored by the men's LNBP, has started its inaugural 2014 with ten teams. The league originally announced an 11-team lineup, but the Petroleras de Minatitlan dropped out.
FOOTBALL
X-League Indoor Football: The X-League's Reading-based Pennsylvania Steam has been sold to a new ownership group in Savannah (GA) and the team has been renamed the Savannah Steam. The Savannah Steam will act as a road team by completing the Steam's remaining three-game road schedule this season and will relocate to Savannah for the 2015 season. The original ownership of the Steam had also operated the Pennsylvania Roar soccer team in the 2013-14 season of the Major Indoor Soccer League.
American Indoor Football: The AIF league has taken over the Rochester (NY) market after the owner of the league's Rochester Raiders team was unable to continue operations due to health issues. The AIF has not taken over day-to-day operations of the Raiders, but the AIF Raiders' territory will keep the Rochester Raiders name for now.
HOCKEY
United States Hockey League: The 16-team Tier-I USHL, the top junior-level hockey league in the United States, formally approved the addition of a Bloomington (IL) expansion franchise for the 2014-15 season. The team replaces a minor pro team called the Bloomington Thunder, which recently completed its inaugural season in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The USHL previously announced another new team called the Madison (WI) Capitols will join in 2014-15. The league's Indianapolis-based Indiana Ice team has been having trouble securing an arena for the 2014-15 season and could go dormant. A new minor pro team called the Indy Fuel will start play in the ECHL for the 2014-15 season.
Central Hockey League: The prospect of a Casper (WY) expansion team joining the league next season is doubtful, since installation of an ice surface at the Casper Events Center will likely not happen in time.
Federal Hockey League: The FHL announced it has secured a new team located in Western Pennsylvania for the 2014-15 season with further details coming in the future. The league held a regular-season game last month in Connellsville (PA), about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, to test the market.
American Hockey League: There was more discussion about several western-based National Hockey League teams forming a new Pacific Division within the AHL, which is the NHL's top developmental league. The 30-team AHL currently has only one team west of Texas and the western NHL teams want more AHL affiliates closer to home. A proposed new division could happen by the 2015-16 season.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer: Several reports indicate the MLS is expected to announce later this week that it will grant an expansion franchise to the city of Atlanta. A new Atlanta MLS team would most likely start play in 2017 at a retractable-roof stadium being built for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. The 19-team MLS wants to grow to 24 teams by 2020 and will increase to 21 teams when the New York City FC and Orlando City SC Lions start play in 2015. A Miami MLS team will be announced once a soccer-specific stadium deal is worked out. Minneapolis is considered the front-runner for a final MLS expansion spot. The owner of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins is interested in partnering with the Minnesota United FC from the Division-II North American Soccer League. A new stadium being built for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings has also been under consideration for an MLS team in Minneapolis.
National Women's Soccer League: The Division-I professional NWSL, which features national team players from the United States, Canada and Mexico, has started its second season. All eight teams from last season have returned for 2014 and the league has grown to nine teams with the addition of the expansion Houston Dash.
North American Soccer League: The Division-II men's North American Soccer League has started its 2014 spring season and has grown from 8 to 10 teams with the addition of new teams called the Indy Eleven (Indianapolis) and Ottawa Fury (Ontario).
Professional Arena Soccer League: The PASL has created a new partnership with its current teams and those teams that recently left the United Soccer Leagues-Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) to create a new 20-team indoor soccer league for the 2014-15 season. The details will be worked out over the next few weeks with specifics of the new league to be announced after an owners meeting in mid-May. A co-owner of the PASL's Illinois Piasa team (Pontoon Beach) has sold his remaining interest in the team and new ownership wants to restructure and re-brand the team to participate in the top indoor league that will be created from the demise of the MISL.
OTHER
Montreal Junior Lacrosse League: The new indoor MJLL will start play this summer with four teams called the Kanehsatake Warriors, Montreal Phoenix, Montreal Shamrocks and Vermont Junior Voyageurs (Burlington). The league is for players aged 17 to 21. Players on the Junior Voyageurs will be eligible to be called up to the Vermont Senior Voyageurs team that is a member of the Quebec Senior Lacrosse League.
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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