Akron is supposedly being bought and moved to Toledo. Who knows if that will actually happen, but that's the rumor.
Small correction as the Austin team is the "Aztex", under new ownership from the organization that left for Orlando.
I think you might be able to piece together the divisions now. I looked at the Chicago Inferno website, and they have the Great Lakes Division alignment for 2012: Chicago Fire U-23 Chicago Inferno Cincinnati Kings Forest City London Hamilton FC Rage Michigan Bucks River City Rovers Toronto Lynx
Should be interesting reading...'Building a PDL Franchise' a new feature on CFC Azul, first interview posted today. http://www.soccerbanter.org/building-a-pdl-franchise.html
Nice interveiw and some good background. I've always thought clubs are a good group to have either a PDL or NPSL team. They have a ready made group of supporters and even more important at this level a ready made group of volunteers. There are tons of things to do just for game days and the more volunteers you have the smother things run and less likely of your core group burning out.
Somebody needs to tell this guy there's no pro/rel system in U.S.: Phong Le, president of the Worcester Hydras, has said he hopes to advance this PDL team to Division 3 USL PRO within five years and progress to the MLS after that. Currently, the team will play in Foley Stadium. http://www.examiner.com/pro-soccer-in-boston/3-new-usl-pdl-teams-increase-competition-new-england
You can buy yourself all the way from PDL to NASL. So there is 'self promotion' if you've got the cash. To get to MLS you'd also need a proper market.
Yes, there is no way in North America for a team to progress from one level to the next. Did you get crack for Christmas? If a PDL team owner had a five-year goal to progress to USL Pro, that would be more conservative than almost anyone who's stood up when founding a team and said they were going to advance in levels. The MLS part is freaking daft, though. Not because it can't be done, but because it can't be done in Worcester, Mass. Back in the primordial soup days, when MLS was just getting going, lots of people said they were going to start a low-level team and eventually be in MLS. Because nobody knew how it was going to work then, and you could say anything. The Indiana Blast's original owner started his team in what was the D3 Pro League, but told everybody they would be in the A-League the year after and in MLS sometime shortly after that. The second owner did move the team to the A-League in 1999 (having been left with little choice after all the nearby D3 teams either folded or self-relegated), but MLS was a pipe dream at that point. Meanwhile, Rochester was making noise about jumping to MLS (and they might have, too, if they'd only been able to scrape up a million bucks in an ownership cash call). So the someone who needs something explained to them is - as usual - you.
If it's so easy, please tell us which current ownership groups are heading teams that are going to fail. And what criteria you're using.
When your ownership group feels they will have an 18k+ stadium built within the next 5 years in a town of 140k for soccer, plus $80 million for the MLS, than there's a problem.
Ok, I read the article a couple times and Kenn's post I dont see where either even mentioned pro/rel. So no idea where you got that from. And for growth up to higher levels it sounds more like a desire / wish. And really to move up they will need additional invtestment. It sounds like he thinks doable, but not a for sure move for them. And MLS is more of a pipe dream. Again he doesn't say for sure that they would be doing both. Overall it sounds like he's trying to provide an opporotuntity to players and fan in that area of Mass. The interesting points in the interveiw aren't so much the higher ambitions, but it sounds like he would like to set up more of a Euro club membership set up where fans will have an input in how the club is run. I'm sure what they will be able to vote on. But a little different on then how things are usual run.
Back on topic, Ocala Stampede is joining PDL for 2012. For those who don't live in Florida, Ocala is a minor city along I-75, 35 miles from Gainesville, 70 miles from Orlando and 90 miles from Tampa. The SE Division is getting crowded. In addition to defending champion Orlando City U-23, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros (unless they're going USL Pro), Schulz Academy, Bradenton Academics and FC Jax Destroyers, we have Tampa VSI Academy, Brandon FC, now Ocala Stampede, and according to this article "additional announcements expected soon". Stadium and coaching will be announced soon. Looking around, there's a baseball field at the College of Central Florida (near I-75 and SR 200) that has extremely favorable dimensions to put a full-size soccer pitch. Not much in the way of seating, though. Trinity High has a track stadium with a very suitable infield pitch. It can take a full-size pitch, but they only line it for a 55m width. (At least it is on Google Maps.) Ocala has several non-track stadiums, but they're dimensioned for pointyball. I saw one lined for soccer with a 50m width. And on-campus stadiums not named Trinity High are less suitable than I've seen elsewhere.
Unless he plans on building an SSS and buying New England Revolution, I doubt the MLS part will happen.
Really your not going to lose your shirt with a PDL team. But I guess it's all in perspective of the cost of a shirt. You need someone or group that had 200 - 300 k to spend. So it's about 50k for a franchise these days and you can run a team on 50 - 100k. So we're not talking nearly as much as what it would cost to run a USL PRO or NASL team. But yes, you need someone that is interested with investing.