Mesa/Phoenix? http://midfieldpress.com/2016/12/01/fc-arizona-aims-to-bring-npsl-then-nasl-to-the-phoenix-area/
Honestly if there is any ownership group that is still thinking of investing in this league, they are not paying enough attention.
Sounds like another naive n00b with money. Good for him, the Phoenix area will enjoy a little more economy with him throwing away money for a year or two.
The Apollos never won the NASL. The Chiefs did, in 1968. They lost to Dallas in '71. The Apollos played only in '73.
The NASL should focus on expanding in cities without a USL team or MLS aspirations. Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Memphis, New Orleans, Birmingham. Close the footprint and make travel easier.
I don't think expanding to cities with MLS aspirations is a bad thing. Not all of the cities are going to get in. In the cities that don't you are in prime position to bring in all those MLS hopefuls.
Every team needs to own their market so they need to stay away from conflict and avoid an OKC situation. That being said the cities of Chicago and Boston are disenfranchised enough that if they can get a team in the city it may work.
To expand on this, part of the problem of avoiding potential MLS cities is if the NASL avoids them USL will sweep in and take them. For the long term survivability of the NASL they need those cities, even if they eventually lose those teams to MLS. They just also need to bring in non-MLS potential cities at the same time.
Perhaps people in Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Memphis, New Orleans and Birmingham should get off their asses and apply for NASL franchises, then. Except for NYCFC, leagues don't normally say "I want teams here and here and here and we'll figure out who owns them later."
The only cities I can think of that has MLS aspirations that doesn't already have a USL team is Detroit and San Diego. SD is too much of an outlier and could financially hurt the surviving teams. Detroit would work but they will be in MLS soon and the league should avoid it to prevent another failed team.
There is nothing wrong with the NASL going to cities and inquiring about upgrading their local soccer team. Everyone of those cities has a PDL or NPSL team; Bohemians, FC Buffalo, AFC Cleveland, Memphis City, Jesters and the Hammers. The owners of the current clubs could talk to fellow businessmen in these cities to help financially support these lower clubs and eventually move them up. You may ask why would any of these owners do this, well the more financially stable clubs mean everyone is safer.
Riiiiiiiiight. Because the Bohemians (who, by the way, are apparently sitting out 2017 because they can't make it work financially in the PDL - but, hell, a little financial help and they could do it!), and those other NPSL teams are such amazing candidates for Division II. Because, geography or something. There's a reason amateur teams are amateur teams. Oh, just "talk to fellow businessmen in these cities" to help them come up with the millions it would take to get them from the subsistence farming of the NPSL to Division II. Okay, got it.
Hey man I have zero knowledge on any of these teams I'm just spit-balling ideas. The NASL is going to have to expand at some point why not start somewhere that already has a foundation in place. Of course its geography. Closer teams means lower operating cost, cuts down on travel. What is a big factor in an ownership group choosing USL over NASL... it's more regional. Louisville has Cincy, Nashville, Pittsburgh and St Louis all relatively close. While Indy, in the same general area of the country, is on an island with no one close. Which isn't saying much because all of them are on islands including Puerto Rico which is on an actual island.
While on principle I agree, the problem is that same that MLS teams face in terms of finding a place to play inside the city proper. No good place to play and very expensive to build a facility.
http://midfieldpress.com/2017/01/18/exclusive-albion-sc-close-to-bringing-nasl-to-san-diego/ Another San Diego NASL aspirant. If I read this correctly, this Albion Pros team is separate from Demba Ba and Eden Hazard's group...
It is, and based on what the article says they would be my preferred group considering they are a local based group with a deep roots in the local soccer community.
And reportedly more money, which is always a good thing. Frankly it makes too much sense to force the groups to merge that it probably won't happen. But I can't see both being granted entry. Particularly knowing NASL doesn't exist in a vacuum and you've got a USL and MLS group angling to come into the region as well.
Having close rivals does not guarantee success. My point was that strong franchises are strong franchises regardless of where they are located, given the paucity of strong franchises we have had, historically. All the clubs you mentioned are amateur clubs, and they are not exactly setting the world afire there. And it is not as simple as talking to local businessmen to get them to the pro level.