It's temporary. They had 32 already planned for Seattle, but wanted to strike Vegas before anyone else did. Seattle joins in 2021, so they only had to play with a slightly off kilter schedule for four seasons. Of course having two divisions in each conference helps, but the 82 game season with multiple games every week is the key.
Plus by the time Vegas would start at 31 I'm sure 32 will have been announced as well. (probably Phoenix)
Well they have three periods and two "halftimes" too so it seems they prefer mathematical awkwardness.
I think MLS will be the league with the most teams, both overall & in the US, shortly after the WC in 2026. This counts current teams only. NFL: 32 teams (32 US) NHL: 31 teams (24 US/7 Can) ---(Seattle in 2021) MLB: 30 teams (29 US/1 Can) NBA: 30 teams (28 US/2 Can) MLS: 26 teams (23 US/3 Can) ---(2021: Austin & Cha; 2022: Sac & STL) I think they want 2 more before the World Cup (Vegas + 1). That will put them at 32 teams total & 29 US based clubs. Only the NFL will have more. Then decide if 36 or 40 is the target.
I agree that MLS has the potential to be the biggest, but expansion to Toronto has been brought up by the NFL again. The NHL could be looking for new markets (notably Houston) after Seattle launches next year.
Who's the second Canadian NBA team? The Grizzlies moved from Vancouver to Memphis nearly 2 decades ago.
Can't see the NFL putting a team in Toronto with the Bills still in Buffalo. Buffalo claim the market and have showed it by putting on many games there. So it would either be the Bills moving there or bust. Also I have a feeling the CFL would probably try and block any move or expansion. I don't think the NFL ever gets bigger. MLB could expand if they wanted to but they aren't even at 32 yet. NBA could expand but they don't have the talent to add teams. Honestly they don't have enough talent for the 30 they currently have. NHL could expand but do they have enough hockey cities to do so. Sorry don't think Houston will care about hockey.
I can agree with it...For two main reasons: #1. There’s no shortage of global talent. The markets have demonstrated that fans will support non-domestic players for their club. Therefore, teams can always search the globe to fill their rosters. #2. MLS is much more of a grassroots movements. With the HGP/Academy push, I envision the future of MLS growth will come from mostly local talent. In my opinion, this will make MLS much more exciting because for the most part, their players will come from the region in which they live. Sort of like NCAAF - with a few outliers here or there. This will give the league a much more communal feel to it. As a result, there will be a need to cover the map, unlike the rest of the sports.
I also always use to think that overexpansion would dilute talent. The thing is, that was only if you start mostly American born players. Now that rosters and starting lineups are filled with foreign players, that notion has gone out the door. On the other hand, I would hope the academies and/or youth teams develop players and stock existing teams but after ten years, I can't find too much evidence of it. Either way, I also believe teams will be able to span the globe for talent. Shortage of players won't be a problem.
1. The CFL has no authority over the NFL and vice versa, so that's a moot point. 2. The commissioner and Blank are openly talking about (I linked my sources). Agree on both. Trends indicate that MLB is in the decline and their plan to eliminate several minot league markets won't earn them new fans. Houston was a league leader in attendance in the AHL. The franchise left because Minnesota wanted their affiliate closer (Des Moines) and the Toyota Center was operated by the hockey-hating former owner of the Rockets. The situation has changed and the new owner of both is pursuing an NHL franchise (again linked). He has the support of the city. Being the fourth largest city in the US with a ready-made rival in Dallas is attractive to Bettman. This is not just my opinion or speculation. There are still plenty of other interested markets with KC, Toronto #2/Hamilton, Quebec City, and San Diego frequently mentioned. Most current or potential MLS markets either have an NHL team or are rumored to be interested in one. Hockey is similar to soccer in that it's player pool is global, just not to the same extent. Like soccer, we have national team players coming from all over the country now (including Arizonaand South Florida), thanks to programs started by NHL and minor league teams. My guess is that unless the NFL does something crazy, MLS will be the largest league with the NHL right behind them at 40 and 36 within 20 years.
It also doesn't hurt the NHL's chances of getting to 36 teams that 7 current teams are in Canada - that's over twice the Canadian teams of the next-highest league (MLS). So even if all 4 future teams ended up in the US (kinda unlikely, hopefully Quebec City would come back), they would still only be at 29 American teams MLS and NHL getting to 36 teams seems totally reasonable. I also wouldn't be surprised to even see MLB and maybe eventually the NBA making the jump to 32
the CBA for the NFL in 2021 is going to canx the whole year. Theyve never been this far apart. Everything from salary, players rights, marijuana use, how many games are played, and yeah, a team in London. The NFL Players Association is gonna put their foot down on a lot of those.
I'm pretty sure the CFL and the Toronto Argonauts would have a lot of say in bringing in an NFL team into the city.
Just like when the CFL expanded to the US and the NFL had a lot to say about it? Or when the XFL (then and now) wanted to put teams in NFL markets and the NFL "had a lot to say" about it? These leagues have no authority over each other. Hell, the NFL and CFL don't even use the same rules. They don't even share the same season, other than some fall overlap. Football does not have the type of authority that soccer has - at least not one with that much power or authority - on the national or international level. FIFA, CONCACAF, CSA and USSF have the ability to prevent international expansion in soccer, but our "Big Four" have no such authority that prevents rival leagues from setting up shop in competing markets.
I would think the Buffalo Bills would have a bigger say with Toronto getting a team than the CFL. From what I understand, the Toronto/Hamilton area is an important part of their market and having that cut off from their already small market would have a pretty detrimental impact on the team.
I don't have a strong opinion either way as I don't really follow the NFL but I can see potential issues. Nonetheless, it has been rumored.
yeah, I feel like Toronto had a window of opportunity to have an NFL team when the Bills were for sale. if a toronto-based ownership group would have stepped up and bought the Bills they could have easily moved them to Toronto most likely. I think that window is closed now, and like this poster said, current Bills ownership would have a lot to say about a team in Toronto now.
Bills are going to be in a quandary. They want a new stadium but the city is not gonna put one dime into that. Toronto therefore is a much bigger threat than London. cincinnati too, and Jacksonville. Both different implications . Jacksonville is the London threat. Cincinnati owners want a new stadium and that city won’t budge either. There are no more Las Vegases to threaten to move to either who will be willing to front that kind of taxpayer money. Maybe San Antonio will finally stop being the side chick.
They're not in a quandary. The State of New York has said that it will commit resources (how much remains to be determined) to keeping the Bills in Buffalo/Western NY. The Bills also have the option of making serious renovations to New Era Field, which the NFL is in favor of: https://buffalonews.com/2020/01/29/buffalo-bills-new-era-field-stadium-renovations-nfl/ Toronto is not a threat to Buffalo. Toronto does not currently have a stadium that is NFL caliber. Not to mention that the Toronto sports market is finicky, and will not show up to watch a perenial loser. There also really isn't a place in the city to build a stadium in a size big enough for a nFL team.
The problem for NFL (and the CFL) is demographics. Attendance in the big 3 cities are declining (with the boomers) for football but increasing for soccer. Millenials made their choice. Also, there's no way an NFL team draws more than the Maple Leafs, Raptors at the price they were charging during the NFL series in Toronto. It ended up being a flop.
Cincy just got a new stadium not too long ago. And the city took a bath on it. No way are the Bengals pushing for a new stadium, nor will they get one. Do you have them confused with someone else?