Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
December 29, 2014 - American Indoor Football (AIF)

BASEBALL

Atlantic League: The ownership group trying to bring an Atlantic League baseball team called the Loudoun Hounds to a proposed ballpark at a mixed-use development in Ashburn (VA) is battling with the developer over control of the land lease. Progress on the ballpark has not moved forward over the past couple of years, so the developer is trying remove the current group from the lease and negotiate with another group that will move forward with the ballpark and an Atlantic League franchise. The case could go to trial next year.

Pecos League: A new team called the Garden City (KS) Wind has been added to the Northern Division of the Pecos League for the 2015 season. The league had ten teams in two five-team divisions last year, but the Raton (NM) Osos and Taos (NM) Blizzarad were dropped from the Northern Division and two Arizona teams called the Douglas Diablos and Bisbee Blue were dropped from the Southern Division. Another new team called the Las Cruces (NM) Vaqueros was previously added to the Southern Division for 2015.

BASKETBALL

Central Basketball Development League: The CBDL stated that a previously announced new 2015 team called the Houston Horned Frogs has been dropped by the league. The owner of the Houston Horned Frogs is trying to form the new semi-pro Empire Basketball Association, which currently lists the Horned Frogs and four other Texas-based teams.

Central Basketball Association: The CBA announced its 2015 schedule that will run from late March to mid-May and feature eight teams. The league had seven teams last season, but the St. Louis Hawks will sit out the 2015 season. Six teams called the Bowling Green (KY) Hornets, Chattanooga Rail Runners, Fort Wayne Flite, Memphis Soul Kings, Middle Tennessee Storm (Nashville area) and Peoria Panthers (formerly the River City Panthers) will return in 2015. Two expansion teams called the Mississippi Eagles (Memphis area) and Springfield (IL) Sentinels have been added. A previously announced new team called the Indianapolis Briks has been dropped for 2015. The CBA started play in 2014 when four teams from the 2013 Central Basketball League (now the Central Basketball Development League) left to form the league. The CBA also announced it will play under international FIBA rules.

Tobacco Road Basketball League: The TRBL officially announced the Atlantic Dragons, based in Stockbridge (GA) near Atlanta, have been added to the 2014-15 season as a sanctioned travel/exhibition team. The team was incorrectly listed here as the Atlanta Dragons two weeks ago.

Eastern Basketball Alliance: The EBA announced a central Pennsylvania team called the New Philadelphia Firedogs (Schuylkill County, PA) will be part of the 2015 season. A previous EBA team called the New Philadelphia/Schuylkill Firedogs played six seasons (2002-08) in the league.

FOOTBALL

American Indoor Football: After being dropped by the X-League Indoor Football (XLIF) last month, the Savannah (GA) Steam will now be part of the AIF for the 2015 season. New ownership took control of the Reading-based Pennsylvania Steam early in the 2014 season of the XLIF and renamed the team the Savannah Steam. The team played several road games against XLIF teams in 2014 as the Savannah Steam and had hoped to be a full member of the XLIF for the 2015 season. With the addition of Savannah, the AIF now lists nine teams for 2015.

Fall Experimental Football League: After operating its short inaugural 2014 season with four teams, the developmental FXFL is reported to be considering a six- or eight-team league for next season. The league plans on returning to Omaha with the Omaha Mammoths and might try to regionalize with additional teams in Memphis, Oklahoma City and Des Moines. The league would also like to return to Brooklyn and Boston, where teams called the Brooklyn Bolts and Boston Brawlers competed in 2014.

Legends Football League: The women's LFL, formerly known as the Lingerie Football League, announced the LFL-Australia league has been renamed the LFL-Oceania in anticipation of placing some teams in New Zealand. Eventually, the LFL-Oceania plans to have nine Australia-based teams and three New Zealand-based teams. The LFL-Australia debuted with four teams in a 2013-14 season and planned to have five teams in a 2014-15 season, which was unexpectedly cancelled just prior to its proposed start in October 2014. The LFL also operates LFL-North America and the proposed new LFL-Europa.

HOCKEY

United States Premier Hockey League: The Tier-III junior-level USPHL, which currently operates three eastern-based Tier-III leagues called the USPHL Premier Division, USPHL Empire Division and USPHL Eastern Division, plans to start a new USPHL Mid-West Division for the 2015-16 season. As of now, ten current teams (Dell Ducks, Hudson Crusaders, Illiana Blackbirds (Dyer, IN), Ironwood (MI) Yoopers, Marquette (MI) Royales, Minnesota Owls, St. Louis Frontenacs, Tri-City Icehawks (Bay City, MI), Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings and Wooster (OH) Oilers) and two dormant teams (Fort Wayne Federals and Chicago Rampage) from the Tier-III Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL) have been announced for the USPHL Mid-West Division. Four other current MnJHL teams are not part of the new division.

Eastern Hockey League: The Tier-III junior-level EHL announced it will add an Elite Division of teams for the 2015-16 season. The Elite Division teams will play a shorter schedule and have less travel while developing players for the EHL teams. The EHL is operating with 19 teams for the 2014-15 season and currently lists eight teams that will be part of the new Elite Division.

SOCCER

Major Arena Soccer League: The Hidalgo La Fiera FC of the MASL has resigned its membership and ceased operations reducing the league membership to 22 teams. The La Fiera FC started as the Rio Grande Valley Flash for the 2012-13 season of the Professional Arena Soccer League, changed to the Hidalgo La Fiera FC under new ownership for the 2013-14 PASL season, and became part of the MASL when the PASL merged with the Major Indoor Soccer League prior to the 2014-15 season. The Hidalgo La Fiera FC was part of a six-team Southern Division and ended play with a 5-3 record.

Premier Arena Soccer League: The PASL, which is the official developmental league for the Major Arena Soccer League, has started its 2014-15 season with 20 teams currently listed. Teams are aligned into a nine-team Midwest Division, a six-team Northwest Division and a five-team Rocky Mountain Division. Several PASL teams serve as reserve squads for MASL teams.

United Soccer Leagues - PRO: The Charleston (SC) Battery of the USL PRO league has announced a one-year affiliation with the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer. The Battery was affiliated with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of the MLS last season, but Vancouver is starting its own USL PRO team for the 2015 season. The Houston Dynamo was affiliated with the USL PRO's Pittsburgh Riverhounds in 2014 and is expected to start its own USL PRO team in 2016. As the MLS discontinues its Reserve League in favor of USL PRO affiliations, 5 of the 20 current MLS teams have yet to announce their USL PRO affiliations for the 2015 season. With USL PRO expansion to over 20 teams for the 2015 season, not every USL PRO team will have an MLS affiliation.

OTHER

World Series of Boxing: The WSB team-based international boxing league announced a change to its 16-team membership with the London-based British Lionhearts replacing the Germany Eagles in the 8-team Group A for 2015. The British Lionhearts participated in the league's 2012-13 season. The WSB will be starting its fifth season that will feature eight teams each in a Group A and Group B with matches played from mid-January to late April 2015. The United States has a WSB team called the USA Knockouts and Mexico has a WSB team called the Guerreros.

Dan Krieger is the creator of the Leagues, Teams & Nicknames 2013-14: "The Leagueology Almanac" , 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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