Next city to get a pro sports franchise?

[mcheiss]

Any thoughts on an NFL team in Orlando? Possibly the Saints?

[RestedTraveler]

Do you realize how close Orlando is to Tampa? That'd never happen. The market just isn't big enough. As it is, the Buccaneers open training camp each season in Orlando as it's technically part of their market.

Believe it or not, several years ago, Orlando had a very good opportunity to land the Buccaneers when the Bucs were seeking a new stadium from Tampa and Tampa wasn't willing (at the time) to pony up. If it was ever going to happen, it would have happened then.

To decrease Orlando's odds even more, the University of Central Florida is building an on-campus football stadium that should be ready for the 2007 season. This means that 1) they'll no longer be playing in the Citrus Bowl Stadium and 2) that Orlando will be less likely to spend any money to either renovate it or build a replacement.

[jmduke]

NFL: Saints probably most likely to move to Los Angeles or San Antonio. LA gets consideration because Tagliabue has stated in the past he desires any franchise moves to be to a city of greater market size. Obviously LA is the biggest hole to fill and with PHX building a stadium for the Cardinals, that formerly mobile team is stuck in PHX for a while. San Antonio might be a better choice as football always sells in TX, but one must consider the relatively small market size (slightly bigger than NOLA) and the low average income of the metro area (but again, better than NOLA). The existing stadium needs some work, but I'd give San Antonio the edge.

NBA: Many possibilities here. Most likely are Hornets to OKC since their temporary arena is very nice (already up to NBA standards), and the Hornets would be the only game in town. OKC might even be a little bigger media market than NOLA, but I'm not sure. OKC has chased hockey for a long time, but they can support the Hornets well and should jump on this opportunity. Las Vegas, Norfolk, and Louisville (in that order) are likely candidates to receive a team either via expansion or relocation. LAS dollars far outweigh any sports book issues.

MLB: More restricted here as you need to have a pretty large market size (2 million +) to support a team. Las Vegas and Portland are currently the most obvious choices. PDX will come hard for a team, but LAS might be a better choice as you know they can build a tremendous number of luxury boxes and the casinos will buy and comp. them out to their guests with little effort. MLB will have to deal with sports book issues, and given their current steroids scandal, they'll be very deliberate if Vegas comes calling with a sweet offer.

[booman5580]

I would like to see Vegas get a pro team. They are a growing city with lots of people from all over coming in and a pro sports team will only make vegas grow that much more.

[fromdust]

MLB: More restricted here as you need to have a pretty large market size (2 million +) to support a team. Las Vegas and Portland,

is las vegas that big?

inveters in okc will likely buy up the hornets. shinn made it official, he is looking for investors

[EbonyGardens]

Birmingham will most likely get a pro sports team. They have the size to build a quality stadium and garner good fan support.

[MadVlad]

Well, they just announced plans to possibly build a new arena in Hartford, and the guy building it plans to pursue an NHL team to play there..... YEAH!!!!

[Clobber]

I would like to see Vegas get a pro team. They are a growing city with lots of people from all over coming in and a pro sports team will only make vegas grow that much more.

Too many transplants, I question the level of support they'd have for the home team. Demographics remind me of, say, LA, Miami, Atl, none of which are considered "great" sports towns, because there's so many transplants, so many other things to do...

[snoogit]

The catch is that sports leagues typically (all except baseball) do not use normal metro numbers - they use the magic one hour drive time. Within one hour of Grand Rapids you have the 1.3 million of the CSA, 500,000 in Kzoo, 500,000 in Lansing, and probably another 500,000 from the North lands and scattered in between.

In terms of sports audiences, Grand Rapids is effectively a 2.8 million person zone. Not bad, and clearly near the top of those without teams and much more than enough to economically support multiple teams.

Grand Rapid's best bet is to find an NHL team wanting to move to a new city, preferably one with an old arena, who is looking for newer, better. (VAA is nice, but with a renovation could be NHL/NBA caliber)

Chances of an NHL Team in Grand Rapids within 10 years: 60%, NBA: 30%, NFL/MLB: 5%

Heck Grand Rapids is bigger then some of the cities being proposed, so why not give it some love?

[jayblogger]

if i had to put money on this, i'd vote for Vegas... and i'd have to go there to bet on it as well =;-)

[shane453]

OKC will be next.

If the Hornets don't weasel their way out of New Orleans, OKC will not go long without an NBA team. A few local businessmen have made it clear that they intend to buy a team for OKC if they don't keep the Hornets, and they intend to buy a large share of Hornets if the Hornets stay.

[CanesFan98]

Grand Rapid's best bet is to find an NHL team wanting to move to a new city, preferably one with an old arena, who is looking for newer, better. (VAA is nice, but with a renovation could be NHL/NBA caliber)

Chances of an NHL Team in Grand Rapids within 10 years: 60%, NBA: 30%, NFL/MLB: 5%

Heck Grand Rapids is bigger then some of the cities being proposed, so why not give it some love?

The Redwings wouldn't let Grand Rapids into the NHL. I don't know about the pistons though.

[JC3124]

Grand Rapid's best bet is to find an NHL team wanting to move to a new city, preferably one with an old arena, who is looking for newer, better. (VAA is nice, but with a renovation could be NHL/NBA caliber)

Chances of an NHL Team in Grand Rapids within 10 years: 60%, NBA: 30%, NFL/MLB: 5%

Heck Grand Rapids is bigger then some of the cities being proposed, so why not give it some love?

MMmmm, not sure which cities you're talking about. Grand Rapids is a bigger market than which of the cities again?

[JC3124]

Also,a link to a current post in the USA NorthEast board regarding Hartford as a potential site of a team.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=21853

[goodbye]

OKC will be next.

If the Hornets don't weasel their way out of New Orleans, OKC will not go long without an NBA team. A few local businessmen have made it clear that they intend to buy a team for OKC if they don't keep the Hornets, and they intend to buy a large share of Hornets if the Hornets stay.

OKC is very likely the next city to get a pro sports team. I just heard of a serious proposal to relocate the Florida Marlins there. That would be pretty nice for the Central U.S., IMO.

[CanesFan98]

Kansas City will get the NHL in form of the Pittsburgh Penguins (if they don't get an arena). Not because of some study done by the bizjournal, or a bunch of dilusional hartford fans who think the Whalers will return soon, but because they have a brand new arena being built, they are the only real city actively pursuing an NHL team and it will make a natural rival with the st louis blues.

[MadVlad]

Heh, whatever.

[shane453]

OKC is very likely the next city to get a pro sports team. I just heard of a serious proposal to relocate the Florida Marlins there. That would be pretty nice for the Central U.S., IMO.

Well, not quite serious yet. The owner of the Marlins once owned a minor league team in OKC in the early 90s, and the local government sort of accidentally/prematurely revealed that they were working on getting the Marlins to come look at OKC. I don't think Marlins have asked MLB for permission to check out OKC yet.

They're also looking at Portland, San Antonio, and a few other cities. Oklahoma City has the second largest ballpark of the cities they have mentioned currently; it seats 13,000 but could be expanded easily.

OKC has also been trying for several years to get NHL- our CHL hockey team is very well-attended.

Who knows how Oklahoma was left out of the pro sports realm for so long- OK is big on our college and minor league teams. (In one weekend, it was reported that 300,000 sports tickets were purchased in Oklahoma for minor, college and NBA games.)

[TennBear]

According to the Bizjournals, here are the 10 Top Markets for Expansion and for what sport.

1) Los Angeles - NFL

2) Philadelphia - MLS

3) Hartford - NHL

4) Las Vegas - NBA

5) Portland - NFL

6) Oklahoma City - NBA

7) Rochester - MLS

8) Virginia Beach-Norfolk - NBA

9) Northern New Jersey - MLB

10) San Bernadino-Riverside - MLB

[CanesFan98]

According to the Bizjournals, here are the 10 Top Markets for Expansion and for what sport.

1) Los Angeles - NFL

2) Philadelphia - MLS

3) Hartford - NHL

4) Las Vegas - NBA

5) Portland - NFL

6) Oklahoma City - NBA

7) Rochester - MLS

8) Virginia Beach-Norfolk - NBA

9) Northern New Jersey - MLB

10) San Bernadino-Riverside - MLB

That study will always have to be altered, look, the Trailblazers owner is losing so much money and may have to relocate the team. Now under the biz journal study NFL was good for portland because they already had an NBA franchise. Now what? See what I mean...

[TennBear]

That study will always have to be altered, look, the Trailblazers owner is losing so much money and may have to relocate the team. Now under the biz journal study NFL was good for portland because they already had an NBA franchise. Now what? See what I mean...

CanesFan, You could very well be right. I was just trying to put in some independent information from another source. So, do the Trailblazers go to Las Vegas and create the situation that the NBA and gambling are in with one another? Do they go to Virginia, the state with the largest population that has no pro team?

[MadVlad]

I can't imagine Paul Allen moving anything out of the Pacific Northwest...

[CanesFan98]

I can't imagine Paul Allen moving anything out of the Pacific Northwest...

I can't imagine the whalers comming back.

[MadVlad]

I can't imagine the 5 fans in Raleigh caring if they did....

[CanesFan98]

I can't imagine the 5 fans in Raleigh caring if they did....

5 more fans than the whalers had right? After all they did leave CT.